CUBA Lonelyplanet.Com © Lonely Planet Publications

CUBA 135 (What’s up, (What’s up, (goodbye/bye) 53 MN); CUC$1 = US$1.04 MN); CUC$1 = US$1.04 % CUC$25 (cash only)

Republic of Cuba Cigars, rum, Fidel Castro, salsa, classic cars salsa, Castro, Cigars, rum, Fidel 11.2 million Spanish ciao/ciaocito Queué bolá assure? Havana Cuban convertible peso (CUC$) convertible peso (CUC$) Cuban Cubans

110,860 sq km All visitors require a tourist card a tourist card All visitors require brother?); Money also known as peso (CUP; and Cuban moneda nacional, = €0.67 = UK £0.53 Official name People Phrase Population Visa which is usually issued with (CUC$15), your plane ticket or can be bought at p187 airports; see Area Capital Country code tax Departure for Famous Language

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With Fidel having shuffled off stage left, Cuba’s boundless energy threatens to burst at to burst threatens boundless energy stage left, Cuba’s having shuffled off With Fidel and sand attractions in abundance – from white well as having the usual Caribbean As is cashing in yes, the government it’s harder work than most of its neighbors, and Yes, Dogs sleep on the motorway as a Russian Lada roars past, brightly painted in the incongru- in the painted roars past, brightly as a Russian Lada Dogs sleep on the motorway Cuba ous colors of the tropics. Behind it a 1954 Cadillac belches black from its impossibly large belches black from its impossibly large Behind it a 1954 Cadillac ous colors of the tropics. that so naturally coexist here two Cold War classics The frame. and beautifully contoured equivalent of seeing a penguin and a polar that this is the motoring it’s curious to imagine between US and Russian influence, a century split evenly After bear on the same ice floe. next stage. on to its moves Revolution is slowly rousing itself as the Cuban Cuba with a generous layer of 1970s does, 1950s Americana overlaid until it any moment. Yet, your opinion of this most warp. Whatever on in a glorious and unique time lives Sovietica visit. to time been a better never of nations, there’s divisive world’s most ex- has one of the dramatic mountain scenery, Cuba palm-fringed beaches to extraordinaryciting (and bloody) histories, own and a musical and dance traditions all of its to astound. ceases that never rich national architecture as it again and again, rife people come to Cuba penny you spend, but the reason on every on earth. else like it simply nowhere is with contradictions and intrigue, is that there’s lonelyplanet.com 134 © Lonely Planet Publications Planet Lonely © CUBA during July andAugust,when it’salsoun- times, especially are atthese the disadvantages andpricehikesJuly andAugust.Overbooking Peak timesfortravelers are Christmas, Easter, CLIMATE &WHEN TOGO 136 ITINERARIES HIGHLIGHTS

before spending Christmason the beach 24 forCuba’smostexcitingstreet party, tiny colonialbackwater RemediosonDec Las Parrandas, Remedios diving here beaches; you’llfindthemainland’s best which hastwogoodresorts onsuperb iguana-heavythis fantastic nationalpark, Península deGuanahacabibes Unesco World Heritage site and nature lovers discovering thisunique and jointheranksof climbers, hikers ibbean’s mostextraordinarylandscapes Viñales great musicand much charm withrevolutionary history,through city,aplaceshot ba’s beguilingsecond Santiago deCuba grandeur’ brings newmeaningtothewords ‘faded life of which Cuba’sthrillingcapital, whipped Malecón andthesteamy night- colonial architecture, thedramaticsea- Havana Juventud. to considerasidetripIsla de la de Humboldt.Keen divers want might lantes orParque NacionalAlejandro with hikingthrownin:Topesde Col- ary, buttake thetimeatexplorer pace, One Month the very eastern tipof the island. on east toSantiagodeCubaandBaracoa ary ontheeastern route andthenhead Weeks Three Ancón orCayo María.Santa Claraandthebeaches atPlaya dad, Santa nahacabibes viaViñalesoreasttoTrini- either headwesttothePenínsula deGua- Two Weeks of the country. Trinidad isagreat alittlemore waytosee Claraor triptoViñales,Santa night culture, historyandnightlife, anover- spent soakingupHavana’s rich brew of One Week UA • ihihs CUBA ••Highlights ( p160 ) Drinkinsomeof theCar- ( p141 inthegorgeous) Revel While seven dayscaneasilybe Whileseven Followthethree-week itiner- After several daysinHavana, After several Follow the two-week itiner- Followthetwo-week ( p173 ) Discover Cu- ( p168 ) Head to 13) Explore (p163) 10, 1868, sugar baron Carlos Manuel10, 1868,sugarbaronCarlos de landowners plotted rebellion. OnOctober Fed up with theSpanishpowerstructure, The RoadtoIndependence Cuba, forever altering the country’s makeup. 1840s there were some400,000Africansin slave tradecontinuedfuriouslyandbythe offered –twicetobuyCubafromSpain.The wasCubansugarthattheUSSo important onit.sugar producerandtheUSwassweet Africans as slaves. 120,000. TheSpanishthenbeganusing vors remained fromapopulationof around mated, andby1550onlyabout 5000survi- Guamá. Thenative populationwasdeci- resistance byindigenous chiefs Hatuey and theyconqueredsaw, andenslaved –despite Velázquez deCuéllar,agreed: theycame, Spanishconquistadors, ledbyDiego seen.’ most beautifullandhumaneyeshave ever on October 27,1492,hedescribeditas‘the When Christopher Columbus neared Cuba European Arrivals HISTORY Festivals happenallyearround (see p185 ). lem onthecoastsfromJunetoNovember). no threat of hurricanes(which canbeaprob- when it’swarmbutuncrowdedandthere’s try. TheidealtimetovisitisJanuary toMay, much hotthroughout ofpleasantly thecoun- annexation by the US. some Cubanlandowners beganadvocating Spanish inFebruary 1878.Aroundthistime, granting independence–wassignedwiththe a pactimproving conditionsinCuba–butnot Years’ War,costingsome200,000lives before of Independence,which extended intoaTen ThisbegantheFirstpendence struggle. War his slaves andaskingthemtojoinhisinde- Céspedes launched theuprisingbyreleasing By the1820sCubawasworld’slargest

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CUC$30

Internet perhour ticket Concert Bus ticketHavana–Santiago Dinner incasaparticular Room incasaparticular CUC$10 CUC$6

84ºW lonelyplanet.com CUC$20to CUC$7

CUC$51 82ºW 24ºN

80ºW

78ºW

76ºW

74ºW lonelyplanet.com 0 100 km CUBA 0 60 miles

22ºN A T L A N T I C U N I T E D S T A T E S Florida Keys Eleuthera O C E A N O F A M E R I C A G U L F O F M E X I C O Straits of Florida Cat Island24ºN

CUBA T H E B A H A M A S Andros Island

Great Exuma Tropic of Cancer

Playas del Archipié Long Island Este lago HAVANA Varadero de os S lorad ab Co MATANZAS Cárdenas an los Las Terrazas a Cayo Santa Crooked 20ºN de Soroa go Carretera María Island la A ié Central rchip ip Viñales Surgidero Autopista SANTA iéla ch de Batabanó go r Nacional CLARA d A PINAR DEL RÍO Autopista Havana- e Acklins Pinar del Rio Ciénaga de Zapata Remedios C Península de am Island22ºN a Guanahacabibes g ü CIENFUEGOS Morón e NUEVA A y GERONA rc Topes de Meyer Cabo de hip Collantes San Antonio María la Gorda iéla SANCTI CIEGO DE ÁVILA Isla de la go de eos Trinidad ὈὈJuventud los Canarr SPÍRITUS Playa Valle de los Punta Cayo Largo Ancón Playa Santa Lucia del Sur Ingenios Frances CAMAGÜEY Guardalavaca 84ºW LAS TUNAS A r Carretera HOLGUÍN J ch Central a ip rd ié Moa in la 82ºW es go d de e l lo a R s ei BAYAMO Baracoa na Manzanillo

80ºW r a Mae s t r a GUANTÁNAMO 20ºN S i e r SANTIAGO Little Marea Pico DE CUBA Baconao Cayman del Portillo Turquino C A R I B B E A N 78ºW (1972m) Grand Cayman S E A Cayman C A Y M A N Brac I S L A N D S GEORGE TOWN ( U K )

76ºW

137 CUBA CUBA CUBA pendence leader,Martí organized feverishly scorched-earth policythatleftthecountry the element of surprise. motorcade, costing theattackersCastro’s failed whenapatrol 4WDencountered in SantiagodeCuba (see p174 ). Theassault ontheMoncadaarmybarracks in anattack core. led119rebels OnJuly26,1953,Castro with Fidel andmany othersCastro atits coup. another ernments, andonMarch 10, 1952,hestaged gov- bytwocorruptand inefficient ceeded He manyrights. guaranteeing wassuc- when hedrafted ademocraticconstitution power ina 1933 coup. whofirst Fulgencio took to dictator Batista, president, TomásEstradaPalma, up right rupt governments, withthefirst starting dependent republic, of ledbyaseries cor- the naval base at Guantánamo. theamendmenttograb 1903, theUSused begrudgingly accepted theamendment;in occupationindefinitely, theCubans military Platt Amendmentorremaining underUS fit.Givensaw thechoice of acceptingthis it inCubawhenever militarily to intervene Platt attached aridergivingtheUSright Orville was drafted. Connecticutsenator In November 1900,aCubanconstitution The US,Dictators&Revolutionaries The Spaniardssurrendered onJuly 17, 1898. tions onSanJuanHillinSantiagodeCuba. Theodore attacked Spanishposi- Roosevelt, the USArmy,ledbyfuture USpresident land battleof thewarwasonJuly1,when (for US$300million).Theonlyimportant tryingtobuyCubaagain for control,even in Havana Harbor, killing266 US sailors. to ‘protect UScitizens,’explodedunexpectedly 1898, theUSbattleship of Havana inDecember1896.OnFebruary 15, dead, includingAntonioMaceo, killedsouth werein flames.Cubawasamess:thousands 19 Martí wasshot and killed. April 1895fromtheUnited onMay States: the revolution, landedineastern Cubain Antonio Maceo andMáximoGómeztolead for independenceand,having convinced 138 After the Gómez andMaceo stormedwestina Enter José Martí. patriotandinde- Poet, A revolutionary circleformedinHavana, wasdulyelected presidentBatista in1940, On May 20,1902,Cubabecameanin- UA • itr CUBA ••History Maine debacle, the US scrambled debacle,theUSscrambled Maine, sent toHavanasent him US$40millioningovernment funds. On January with fled,taking 1,1959,Batista The RevolutionTriumphs dered onDecember 31, 1958. troopsfinallysurren- Clara.Santa Batista’s VillasProvince,in Las withChecapturing Cienfuegosopenedadditionalfronts Camilo a great quantityof and arms.CheGuevara rebels haddefeated thisadvanceandcaptured 300guerrillas.ByAugust,the date Castro’s toliqui- 10,000 troopsintothemountains escaped intothe Sierra Maestra. Cienfuegos) andCamilo Fidel’s brotherRaúl, Argentine doctorErnesto‘Che’ Guevara, and11others (including army, butCastro The groupwasquicklyrouted byBatista’s Granma and81companionsalighted fromthe ,Castro Movement (‘M-26-7’).OnDecember2,1956 a revolutionary forcecalledthe26thof July whowenttoMexicoing Castro, andtrained dency andfreed allpoliticalprisoners, includ- Juventud). la onIsladePinos(now year sentence captured andstoodtrial;hereceived a15- was guerrilla campaign.Soonafter, Castro wherenearby mountains, theyplannedtheir Pigs). The UStook a drubbing. of de Cochinos (Bay landing in theBahía 1400 CIA-trained émigrés attacked Cuba, traveling toCuba. OnApril17,1961,some matic relations andbanned UScitizensfrom and with bothmilitary technical know-how. and helpedtheregime itsearlyyears through The Soviet Unionmassively invested inCuba driven intothearmsof Khrushchev. Nikita business willagainsthim,hefoundhimself to power. with USpoliticaland However, wasnocommunistwhenhecameCastro Cubans said 1959and1970,500,000 new policies:between panies). Many Cubansalsoprotested atthe Cuba’s largest landholders (mostlyUS com- ized allholdingsover 400hectares, infuriating abolished racialdiscriminationandnational- ately enacted rent andelectricity reductions, arrived inHavana on January 2. andCienfuegos andGuevara that night columnenteredCastro’s SantiagodeCuba In January 1961theUSbroke offdiplo- The revolutionary government immedi- In May sent of thenextyear,Batista In February wonthepresi- 1955Batista andafewCastro others escapedintothe at Playa Las ColoradasintheOriente. atPlayaLas adios . Whileclearlyleft-wing, lonelyplanet.com bringing theworldtobrinkof nuclear Cuba, sparkingtheCubanMissile Crisisand missilesin secretly installed Khrushchev April 1962,amidrisingColdWartensions, trade embargo (knownasthe lonelyplanet.com announced totheworldthat hewouldnot Communist newspaper On February 18,2008,ina letter todaily Life AfterFidel prosecuted. zealously travel forAmericansto Cubabecamefarmore under BillClinton,becamefarstricter and US policy,which hadsoftened somewhat Florida Straits; many died. people onmakeshift acrossthe raftsstruggled and the1994 Mariel has sparked includingthe immigrationcrises, dency toanyCubanarrivingonUSshores. This The CubanAdjustmentAct(1966)grantsresi- totheembargo. second tion policyrunsaclose ( (known as not available inCUP(Cubanpesos);touts dollars gainedaccesstogoodsandservices Class differences re-emerged aspeoplewith ized toprovide much-needed liquidity. of this time willingly. stories was scarce. Cubansshare theirsurvivor and rollingblackoutswere instituted andfood terity program,technically ongoing.Rationing five-year todeclareCuba vanished,forcingCastro a US$5 billioninannualtradeandcredits to in1989, bloccollapsed When theEastern The WallFalls&theSpecialPeriod America Latin and Africa. in supportingrevolutionarystarted efforts Cuban toread andwrite. Meanwhile, Cuba every the 1961literacy campaignthattaught educational advanceswere rapid,particularly massive injectionsof Soviet aid.Conversely, racy, theCubaneconomylanguished despite from the deal-making. wasexcluded missiles bedismantled.Castro orderednot beinvaded,Khrushchev thatthe assurance fromKennedy thatCubawould war. Sixdayslater, after receiving asecret jineteras) After thisdefeat theUSdeclared afull When itcomestosore subjects,USimmigra- In August1993theUSdollarwaslegal- Marked byinconsistency andbureauc- In recent years underGeorge W Bush the boatlift in 1980 when 125,000 people left boatlift in1980when125,000peopleleft período especial reappeared. jinteros balsero CUBA••TheCulture , orjockeys) andprostitutes crisis when some 35,000 crisiswhensome35,000 Granma, (special period)aus- bloqueo Fidel Castro FidelCastro ). In and disposable income – disposable anything – income –disposable and disposable puter, infinitesimally few have internet access, the world’shighest divorce rates. will tell youit’swhythecountry hasoneof one roof. Thiscrampslove-lives andCubans fourgenerationsmean even maylive under confronting Cuba today. have-nots isamongthemostticklish issues tralize, andthere-emergence of haves and system thattherevolution hasworked toneu- double economyhasreinvigorated theclass convertible pesos)butnotwithCUP. This go andthingsyoucanbuywithCUCs(Cuban hard currency rules:there are places youcan In Cuba,moneyisaconsumingtopicbecause THE CULTURE will beinteresting times for Cuba. earth willbegin.Whatever theoutcome,these island andoneof on thelastcommuniststates scramble forcontrolof largest theCaribbean’s younger thanFidel–relinquishes power,the years –whoisonlyseven beyond. OnceRaúl the future of Cubaforthenextdecadeand It willconvene in2009,andwilllikely plot first CommunistParty congress since1997. moreeven significantly,hehasannouncedthe atpresent.that dominate Perhaps thesector statefarms inefficient doning thedisastrously toprivatefrom state-run agriculture, aban- citizens. He hasalsosignaledafurthershift on cellphonesandcomputers forindividual Cuba’s mostbackwardlaws,includingbans hasrepealed Castro president, someof Raúl anti-American. inhisfirst Indeed, months as less of adogmatistthanFidel,aswellless tobefar whoisbelieved instituted byRaúl, that, onceFideldies,cautiousreform willbe happen here inthenearfuture. Many believe groomed byFideltocarryon his legacy. power ontoayounger generation of politicians Cuba forthenextfew years before passing February 24,2008,andisexpected torun illness down byserious in 2006. running thecountrysinceFidelwasstruck allyRaúl brother andclosest hadbeen Castro was norevelation fitness;his aboutCastro’s were butthere expectingFideltodieinoffice) may have (mostobservers asurprise been and commanderinchief. Theannouncement ‘aspire oraccept’afurtherterm aspresident Though housingisfree,Though acute shortages Most homesdon’t have aphoneorcom- All betsare currently aboutwhatwill off wasdulyelected President Castro on Raúl

139 CUBA CUBA CUBA seeing jazzlive seeing ( p156 ). 140 rivers, creating interesting geological features eroded byundergroundbedrock has been some lovely beaches too. has goodfishingand unexplored pockets with perro coast ismore by rocky,bedeviled Thesouthern sea. andturquoise dery sands pow- north shore standard hastheCaribbean moreThough pronetowinter coldfronts,the long, thincountrywith5746kmof coastline. Cuba isthelargest a islandintheCaribbean, The Land ENVIRONMENT and heavy Afro-Cubandrumminglacedwithjazz the Cubanmusicscenewideopenwithits Valdés’ bandIrakere, formedin1973,broke intoCubansounds.Jesusseeped ‘Chucho’ revolution’s mostdogmaticdays,has always bars. from You willstillhearhisvoicefloatingout of‘El BárbarodelRitmo’(Barbarian Rhythm). Moré(1919–63),knownas king wasBenny (cha-cha) andmambo. Thereigning mambo son Arsenio Rodríguez.Inthe1940sand’50s, themtoo.to see Respected founders of more yourthing,you’llhave plentyof chance pitch upatyourhotel during hour.cocktail looking forthem–areggaeton groupwon’t asm isimpressive), togo you’llneed although energybe memorable(thesheer andenthusi- reggaeton performances, astheyare likely to frustrated countryyearning for change. hall andreggae –theperfect soundtracktoa Panamanian combinationof hip-hop,dance- listening to thumping,angry reggaeton – the tourist bars. Therest of thecountryisbusy rather tired-sounding songsplayedinjoyless now map, buttodayyou’llonlyhearthese on SocialClubwiththeirtakeThe BuenaVista ARTS much more charming than locals do. pastime –oneforeigners tothinkis seem make recycling andrepurposing anational is anoxymoron. factors combineto These include ÑicoSaquito,TrioMatamoros and If youhave thechance, check outsomelive Over millions ofOver years, Cuba’slimestone Jazz, considered musicof theenemyin Of course if Of course bandsgrew, playingrumba, son son UA • rs CUBA ••Arts (jagged rocksthatlinethe shore), but mayhave putCubanmusiconthe . Havana remains thebestplacefor son, salsa, jazzorhip-hopare salsa, chachachá diente de son

Punta FrancesontheIsladelaJuventudPunta and fauna ismore inspiring:manatees frequent jutía to extinction,exceptfortheindigenous ranita deCuba also boaststheworld’ssmallesttoad, mingbird), theworld’ssmallestbird.Cuba the toothpick-sized Cuba hosts350varietiesof birds,including Wildlife de Humboldt in Guantánamo. Provinces); andParque NacionalAlejandro (straddling GranmaandSantiagodeCuba and GranParque NacionalSierraMaestra delGranmain Nacional Desembarco inMatanzas; ParqueCiénaga deZapata) Natural Montemar (akaParque Nacional Viñales, inPinardelRío;theGranParque de GuanahacabibesandParque Nacional national parks:Parque NacionalPenínsula try isprotected insomeway.There are six Cuba’s peak. highest the Oriente, featuring PicoTurquino(1972m), country (see p170 ) andthe SierraMaestra in the SierradelEscambrayincenter of the ing goodhikingopportunities,including ranges mountain provid- important several like hillsof the‘haystack’ Viñales.Cubahas need totravelneed to Cuba carefully. you, avegan, youmaywant toconsideryour a non-fish-eating vegetarian or,heaven help your trip.Ifyouhave cholesterol high orare Cuban cuisineis likely tobethebugbearof With easilytheworst food intheCaribbean, FOOD &DRINK 1959. since which hasplanted over three million trees apriorityfortheCuban government,been of Reforestation those!). programshave plenty logo(you’llsee beer and theCristal figures prominently inCuba’scoatof arms palma real Guanahacabibes inPinardel Rio Province. intheParquesight NacionalPenínsula de frequent Iguanasare Cubanseas. acommon loggerhead, green andhawksbillturtlesalso Gorda (AugusttoNovember). Leatherback, and whalesharks swimaroundMaría la Alejandro deHumboldtinGuantánamo, the coastlinearoundParque Nacional At present, more than14%of thecoun- Land mammalshave hunted almost been Land There are 90typesof palm,includingthe (tree rat),a4kgediblerodent.Marine (royalpalm);thenationaltree, it (Cubantree toad, 1cm). zunzuncito lonelyplanet.com (bee hum- (bee ticulares (private homesrenting outupto par- soarwhenyoueatincasas Standards ing whatever rawvegetables are available. mean- anda‘salad’ beans), friedplantains with lonelyplanet.com in thecrown of Havana once again. years the Malecón will hopefullybethe jewel in afew Nowblighted byscaffolding, seafront. the beautifulbut desperately crumblingcity moved fromHabana ViejatotheMalecón, thescaleof to see the ruination. a lookatsomeof thebuildingsnotyettackled a centuryof neglect–allyouhave todoistake have restored been totheirformer gloryafter its abandonedchurches andfinemansions restorationpainstaking work.Nowmanyof reinventing duringthepastdecadewith itself colonial complexintheAmericas,hasbeen a UnescoWorldHeritage site andthefinest The originalheartof thecity,Habana Vieja, damage intwocenturiesof turbulenthistory. nial designandhassuffered surprisinglylittle Havana remains remarkably truetoitscolo- leave. to vibeyou’llbesad Hispanic–Afro-Caribbean eros ing buildingsandthegood-humored but vibrantstreets, crumblingbutbreathtak- withyouforyearsquickly andstays –itsfilthy Havana Habana) (La gets underyourskin Perhaps mostbeguilingcity, theCaribbean’s pop 2.2million/ HAVANA or boilit(the local method). To besafe, drinkbottledwater Ron Collinsare easytofindalmostanywhere. truly sublime.mojitos, Excellent daiquirísand arebut Cubancocktails where thingsbecome of akick)are bothgoodforcoolingdown, andBucanero(heavier(light) andwithmore ence thaneating.Thetwomainbeers, Cristal example). for in othertownsit’seasytoeatwell(Baracoa, paladares (SantiagodeCubaisone),while explicably have dreadful restaurants andpoor rants), butinconsistently so. Sometownsin- two rooms)andpaladares (private restau- Standard mealsareStandard friedporkorchicken Recently thefocusof restoration has efforts Unlike capitals, manyotherCaribbean Drinking inCubaisamuch better experi- allcombinetoformanunforgettable congrí (riceflecked withred orblack % HAVANA ••Information 7 (agua natural) haban-

7pm) AccessisCUC$6perhourat all branches. Calles 23&O,CentrodePrensa Internacional; 406 cnrObispo; 23 &25)InTryp Habana Libre. Vedado pp142-3; (Map pp146-7; cybercafé isinsideamathematical institute. h 15 No551btwnCallesC&D;per1/2/5hrCUC$6/10/20; % % 33-16/17/18; Línea&Calle M); pp142-3; % NearObispo; 1:30pm Mon-Fri) pp146-7; Banco Metropolitano Banco Metropolitano Banco Financiero Internacional Banco deCréditoyComercio where you’re usually dealt with quickly. cash advancesare alittlemore expensive, but rates are alittleworse andtraveler’s checks and wherehurry should headto aCadeca, exchange be crowdedandhave ina longqueues,sothose rency exchange placesinHavana. can Banks The followingare themainbanksandcur- pharmacy inHavana’s largest hotel. 6100; CalleLbtwnCalles23&25,Vedado) Awell-stocked Pharmacy Tryp HabanaLibre ‘CEDA’ in N). Section lotoffPadre701) Enterbelowtheparking Varela (askfor Hospital NacionalHermanosAmeijeiras CiraGarcía Clinica Central Medical Services deInternet Servicio Etecsa Cibercafé Capitolio thewi-fiand use there (CUC$8perhour). their laptopscanheadtotheNHParque Central where andcomputers with canbeslow.Those the country,butaccessisstillnotcheap any- Havana isthemostinternet-friendly placein Internet Access Ambulance INFORMATION cheapest access in town. Inside themainentranceofCapitolioNacional,thisis & Teniente per30min/hrCUC$3/5; Rey; 2811; www.cirag.cu; Calle20No 4101,Playa) Money Emergency 9am-6pm Mon-Fri) Havana’s most unusually located Havana’smostunusuallylocated 9am-6pm Mon-Fri) 879-2074; Av delaIndependencia) Inthe post office. 830-1962; Línea offPaseo); 870-2684; Calle23)Inthe Airline Building. (Map (Map pp146-7 ; Habana Vieja % % % ( 873-6496; Av SalvadorAllende); 862-5006; Aguiar No310; 877-6053; www.hha.sld.cu; SanLázaroNo % % h 106, 55-11-85,55-21-85) 860-9369; cnr Oficios &Teniente860-9369; cnrOficios Rey); (Map (Map pp142-3 ; 9am-6pm); (Map (Map pp142-3 ; % (Map pp146-7 ; Calle M 55-44-29; CalleLbtwnCalles (Map (Map pp146-7 ; Paseo Vedado Vedado Vedado Mp pp146-7 ; (Map

Habana Vieja Mp pp146-7; (Map % Mp pp146-7; (Map Centro Habana (Map (Map pp146-7 ; % (Map (Map pp146-7 ; cnr % (Map (Map pp146-7 ; h 860-4477; Habana h 862-0485; Prado 831-1321; Calle 831-1321; Calle 8am-8pm) 8:30am- h (Map (Map % Habana Vieja (Map (Map % 8am- % 204- (Map (Map 55- 141 834-

CUBA CUBA CUBA 142

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63 Lamparilla Perseverancia 72 43 Simón Bolívar

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42 Mercaderes 66 41 Manrique Barrio Chino 62 26

14 20 Nicolás San

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54 Av del Av Bernal Águila

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67 Amistad San Lázaro Bahía deLa 53

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10 Consulado 5 38

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65 Agramonte Cienfuegos 51

83 28 Aponte 50 84 13

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Lamparilla Playas delEste

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Empedrado Cuarteles Bahía deLaHabana

Amargura D 77

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La Coubre Train Station

Compostela Picota 6 ὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ Anfiteatro 29 Parque

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44 82 Jesús María Céspedes de Manuel Carlos Av Acosta San Isidro

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81 Aguiar 75 See Enlargement

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Teniente Rey 58 San Ignacio San

Leonor Pérez Ὀ 30

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Spanish Embassy...... Post Office...... Post Office...... Infotur...... Infotur...... Etecsa...... Cibercafé Capitolio...... Cadeca...... Cadeca...... Banco FinancieroInternacional... Banco deCréditoyComercio..... INFORMATION 37 Mercaderes Plaza de 59 Armas 15

55 Santa Clara

Manuel deCéspedes O’Reilly Statue ofCarlos

Baratillo Sol Oficios Baratillo 19 49 Churruca

HAVANA ••HabanaVieja&Centro Av del Puerto (San Pedro) (San Puerto del Av Militar Morro-Cabaña Parque Histórico de laCabaña San Carlos Fortaleza de 11 10 Muelle Luz 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 F C1 C3 B5 A5 D3 D3 C4 B5 D3 B6 D3 San CristobálAgencia deViajes.. Partagás...... Real FábricadeTabacos Pavillón Granma...... Parque Central...... Generales...... Palacio delosCapitanes Martí...... Museo-Casa NataldeJosé Museo NacionaldeBellasArtes.. Museo delRon...... Museo deNaipes...... Museo delaRevolución...... Museo delaCiudad...... (see30) Museo deArteReligioso...... (see21) Bayona)...... Museo deArteColonial(Palacio Lonja delComercio...... La CasonaCentrodeArt...... FranciscodeAsís...... Iglesia yMonasteriodeSan Gran TeatrodeLaHabana.....(see80) Fototeca deCuba...... El Templete...... Concert Hall...... (see21) Colección deArteCubano...... Centro WilfredoLam...... Habana...... Catedral deSanCristóbalLa Castillo delaRealFuerza...... Cámara Oscura...... Cuba...... Aquarium...... Asociación CulturalYorubade SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES delosCondesCasa Bahía deLaHabana Casablanca

F e r ry to Ca sa bla nca 12 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 G 0 0 D2 E2 B5 B6 B6 B6 E2 C2 E2 E2 E2 B6 C4 B5 C4 C2 C3 E2 D5 C3 B6 B6 B6 SLEEPING EATING Vía RentACar...... (see 51) Rex...... (see 50) El OrbeBikeRentals...... Cubacar...... (see 52) Cubacar...... (see 47) Cubacar...... (see 45) Cubacar...... Bus 400toGuanabo...... Fundación HavanaClubShop..(see27) Fería delaArtesanía...... Gran TeatrodeLaHabana...... Casa delaTrova...... Casa delaMúsica...... Restaurante-Bar Viñales...... Monserrate Bar...... La BodeguitadelMedio...... Café Paris...... Bar DosHermanos...... Taberna deLaMuralla...... Restaurante Tien-Tan...... Restaurante PradoyNeptuno.. Restaurante LaDominica...... Paladar LaGuarida...... Paladar Bellamar...... Museo deChocolate...... Los Nardos...... Jardín delOriente...... El Paseo...... (see47) Café SantoDomingo...... Al Medina...... Ramón yMaritza...... Park ViewHotel...... Olga LòpezHernàndez...... Noemi Moreno...... (see59) Migdalia CaraballeMartin...... Margot yAmaliaUrrutia...... La PuertaBlanca...... La CasaVerde...... La CasadeEsther...... Juan Carlos...... Hotel Telégrafo...... Hotel Sevilla...... Hotel Saratoga...... Hotel SantaIsabel...... Hotel Raquel...... Hotel NHParqueCentral...... Hotel Lincoln...... Hotel Inglaterra...... Hotel Florida...... Hotel AmbosMundos...... Hostal CondedeVillanueva..... Hostal BeltrándeSantaCruz.... Dinorah...... Chez Nous...... Casa delCientífico...... Casa dePepe&Rafaela...... Casa Colonial...... Casa Abel...... TRANSPORT SHOPPING ENTERTAINMENT DRINKING H 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 80 79 78 77 76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 64 63 62 61 60 59 58 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 84 83 82 81 0.3 mi C3 C3 E5 E2 C3 A2 B3 D3 C3 E2 A5 B6 A6 B4 C3 E2 A3 B3 B5 C4 B5 A5 B5 E4 C2 E4 E4 C1 A6 E4 B3 C2 C3 C2 C4 C3 E3 A6 E2 A6 B2 C3 A5 B5 B6 A2 C2 E4 A3 B2 500 m 4 6 1 3 2 5

143 CUBA CUBA CUBA Vieja Calles 2&4; Vieja Obispo &SanIgnacio; Internacional José Martí; Internacional JoséMartí; Independencia; 8pm Mon-Sat); Francisco); Vieja tmoay exhibits. temporary collection, ithosts somegoodinternational ing againin2009. As wellasitspermanent at thetimeof research, butshould beopen- ern painters, forrefurbishment wasclosed displays workbyoneof Cuba’sleadingmod- % views from thetower. interior isratherho-hum.There are great its though the oldestinAmericas,even toacathedralin1788,it’soneofElevated exude lyricalambience,especiallyatnight. tower CUC$1) & Empedrado; delaHabana Cristóbal eulogizedthe Carpentier instone’washownovelist‘Music set Alejo PLAZA DECATEDRAL former gloryover the past decade. beautifully restored fromnearruinstotheir ings andchurches, manyof which have been Havana), cluster of afantastic stunningbuild- World Heritage site of Habana Vieja(Old The core of istheUnesco theCuban capital Habana Vieja SIGHTS Infotur Tourist Information Post office DHL Post Cadeca 144 btwn Aguiar &Cuba; San Francisco; illa; tasotto schedules. transportation Bernaza) Arrangestours,sellsmapsandphonecards,has 10pm); (Map pp146-7 ; Calle23btwnK&L; higher commissions than banks. Cadeca givescashadvancesandchangestraveler’schecksat The excellent h 861-2096; SanIgnacioNo22cnrEmpedrado) (Map (Map pp142-3 ; (Map (Map pp142-3 ; (Map (Map pp142-3 No102,PlazadeSan ; Oficios Mp pp146-7; (Map AAA • ihs HAVANA ••Sights Vedado

8am-7pm Mon-Sat,8am-1pmSun)Facing Plazade Habana Vieja Airport Vedado

h , anditsbaroquedoubletowers do Centro Habana HabanaVieja (Map (Map pp146-7 ; LíneabtwnPaseo &CalleA) h ( Vedado h % 8am-5pm Mon-Fri) (Map (Map pp146-7 ; Línea&Paseo; 10:30am-3pm; admissionfree, toclimb 24hr) % % h % (Map (Map pp142-3 &Lampar- ; cnrOficios 266-4094; Terminal 3Aeropuerto Centro Wilfredo Lam Wilfredo Centro h (Map (Map pp146-7 ; Av de la 863-6884; www.infotur.cu; cnr /fax 866-3333;cnrObispo& 8:30am-10pm) ATMs here; h 832-2112; CalzadaNo818btwn (Map (Map pp142-3 ; ObispoNo257 10am-1pm, 2-7pm); (Map (Map pp142-3 ; Prado);

(Map (Map pp142-3 ; cnrSanIgnacio 8:30am-5:30pm); h Catedral deSan Catedral 7am-2:30pm, 3:30- Mp pp142-3; (Map

Habana Habana h , which Habana Vedado 8am-

ohr visitors. other to tour allowsyoutovisitareas off-limits and astellar displayof weaponry.Aguided the courtyard,alarge collectionof carriages includepeacocksstruttingabout Highlights admission unguided/guidedCUC$3/4; the has housed came thepresidential palace. Since1968it and USpowerplayers, after which itbe- from 1791to1902itwashomeSpanish buildings. Constructionbeganin1776,and pp142–3 ) isoneof Cuba’smostmajestic The PLAZA DEARMAS and another to cupboards. out theonegiven over exclusively tochairs Some roomsare borderlinesurreal –check constructed roomsfullof colonialfurniture. the upperfloorisgiven over largely tore- glassallhavestained theirownrooms,while up bymedium–sculpture, workand metal coins).Thecollectionisdivided Che Guevara tendants (most of you whomwilltrytosell you’re watched like ahawkbytheroomat- the square (1720),isaquirkyplacewhere Bayona los CondesdeCasa CUC$1; 6440; SanIgnacioNo61;admissionCUC$2,guidedtourextra Francisco de Asís is dominated bythe space.ious office Thesouthside of thesquare Comercio beauty distinguished bythedomed de SanFrancisco(Map pp142–3 ) Another of Havana’s picturesque plazas,Plaza PLAZA DESANFRANCISCO for good luck). similar totheoneatentrance (touch it The first Mass washeldbelowaceibatree h the 1828 Habana wasfoundedonthespotmarked by visitors butwaslikely to reopen soon. time of research thefortress to wasclosed familiar –she’s theHavana Clublogo. Atthe La Giraldilla crowned bythefamousbronzeweathervane 1558and1577.Thewesttoweris between Fuerza delaReal Castillo is theAmericas’oldestcolonialfortress, the In 1519theVilladeSanCristóballa On thenortheastsideof thePlaza deArmas The 8:30am-6pm) Palacio de los Capitanes Generales Palacio delosCapitanes h Museo de Arte Colonial deArte Museo (1909),nowHavana’s mostprestig- 9am-6:30pm) El Templete . The saucy dameprobably looks . Thesaucy ,

. Originally constructed in1608 a neoclassicalDoricchapel. Museo delaCiudad Museo , housed inthe , housed

(Map (Map pp142-3 ; admissionCUC$1; Iglesia y Monasterio deSan Iglesia yMonasterio (Map pp142–3 , the oldest house on , theoldesthouse Mp pp142-3; (Map

h lonelyplanet.com 8:30am-5:45pm). ( %

Palacio de is areal 861-6130; Lonja del (Map ) % , built 862-

admission CUC$2; Sat) No307;admissionfree; Mercaderes tallest church forrestorationtallest tower(closed CUC$1; Religioso hosting classicalrecitals andthe a and rebuilt 1719and1738,todayit’s between lonelyplanet.com clna palace. colonial Sat) No107;admissionfree; Muralla deArte Centro Casona Scooby Dooand U Thant.Nextdooris decks includesonesportrayingMussolini, prisingly gooddisplayof over 2000different Sun) admission bydonation; tric door as well. research wasbeingbuiltnext aplanetarium Atthetimeofphotography isshowcased. Next dooris onaParque hotela cocktail roof. Central tower. Franklyyou’dbebetter having off 360-degree cityviewsfromatopa35m-tall in pointisthe to keep thetouristgroupsoccupied. Acase of here the‘sights’ have purpose-built been its buildings.There’s feel thatmany aslight complete after therestoration of nearlyall heart of Habana Viejaandisnowalmost from the16thcentury,ismuch-loved The PlazaVieja(Map pp142–3 ), dating PLAZA VIEJA is especially cool. distillery (complete withfunctioningtrain) Esperanza La scale modelof theCentral room).The inthetasting Añejo Reserva amber finished product(you’llget toquaff theprocessfromcanecuttingtothrough while you’re inCuba. Thetourtakes you you’re unable tovisita place tolearnabout thebrewing processif &Sat,10am-4pmSun). 9am-4pm Fri No262;admissionCUC$7; del Puerto is the gallery. 3rd-floor lent temporary photographicexhibitsinthe cent colonialmansions.There are often excel- religious intwoadja- artcollectionhoused during ourlastvisit)andasurprisinglylarge concert hall concert A much more genuine istheeccen- sight On thewater, twoblockssouthof here, , withquality artexhibits inafantastic , , a museum of, amuseum playingcards.Thesur-

a photogallerywhere contemporary Museo deNaipes Museo h Museo delRon Museo

( % 8:30am-6pm) 862-3467; admission CUC$2, guided tour extra 862-3467; admissionCUC$2,guidedtourextra

(concerts CUC$10; (concerts h Fototeca deCuba Fototeca HAVANA ••Sights 9am-5:20pm) Cámara Oscura h ,

with accesstoHavana’s Mp pp142-3; (Map (Map (Map pp142-3 No101; ; Muralla Mp pp142-3; (Map 8:30am-5pm Tue-Sat, 9am-1pm h ron h , h 8:30am-5:30pm Mon- Thisisagreat

h providing live, (rum) factory performances 8pm) performances 9am-5pm Mon-Thu,

% ( 10am-5pm Tue- ( Museo de Arte deArte Museo % % % 862-3832; Av 866-4461; 862-2530; 861-8544; La

for Cubans.Martí wasborninthishumble sight Cuba’s nationalheroandanimportant Yoruba de Cuba Yoruba deCuba tion of Santería were itnot sooverpriced. religioustion tothe Afro-Caribbean tradi- h .nnl-cuba.org/obinibata; PradoNo615;admission CUC$10; a visittothewell-stocked cigar shop. (in English, French orSpanish) culminate in rolled, pressed, bandedandboxed. Thetours the upperfloors towatch thetobaccobeing are unbundledandsorted, thetourmoves to onthegroundfloor whereStarting the leaves of onhere.the level qualitycontrolthatgoes a factory.Few peopleleave unimpressed by into thelives of ordinaryCubansworkingin famous exportand,perhaps more even so, intobothCuba’smost a fascinatinginsight Atourheresible tovisitwithanyease. is ing, theonlyHavana cigarfactoryit’s pos- factory builtin1845and,atthetimeof writ- h No 520btwnBarcelona&Dragones;admissionCUC$10; ofa caféandselection artsand crafts stalls. in thefloor. Insidethere isaninternet club, dome,a24-caratdiamondreplicahigh isset 62m- theCapitolio’s DC, are bigger). Below and theLincolnMemorial inWashington, in theworld(onlyBuddhaNava, Japan, public, thethird-largest indoorbronze statue doors of tothe49-tonne,17mstatue there- here,is monumental fromthehuge bronze to buildatacostof US$17million.Everything workers three years, twomonths and20days Building, butricher in detail. 6:30pm) % very impressive Havana’s signature architectural isthe sight CAPITOLIO NACIONAL &AROUND Centro Habana exhibit mayleave somepeople rather cold. tos andtrinkets ondisplay,theSpanish-only are afew mildlyinteresting documents,pho- dwelling onJanuary 28,1853,andwhilethere sion CUC$1; pp142-3; (Map the train station, Located infrontof Havana’s wonderfulmain MUSEO-CASA NATAL DEJOSÉMARTÍ Tabacos Partagás Across thePrado isthe theCapitolio Behind took5000 Initiated in1929,theCapitolio 9am-5pm) 863-7861; admissionunguided/guidedCUC$3/4; tours every 15min tours every , which issimilartotheUSCapitol h wouldbeaninteresting introduc- % 8:30am-6:30pm) 861-3778; Leonor Pérez No314;admis-

Mp pp142-3; (Map Mp pp142-3; (Map

Capitolio Nacional Capitolio Museo-Casa NataldeJosé Museo-Casa Martí 9:30-11am &noon-3pm) isthebirthplaceof Asociación Cultural Cultural Asociación % % 867-6657; Industria 867-6657; Industria Real Fábrica de Fábrica Real 863-5953; www (Map (Map pp142-3 ; , acigar h 145

9am- CUBA CUBA CUBA 146

AAA • eao HAVANA ••Vedado C 20 C

To Canadian Embassy (500m); UK Embassy (750m) 4 6 1

3 2 5

VEDADO 8 C 34 C

Av 3

SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION US InterestsSection...... (see15) Parque Lennon...... Parque Almendares...... Ministry oftheInterior...... Memorial JoséMartí...... El Focsa...... Cubatur...... Cubanacan...... Bosque delaHabana...... Anfiteatro ParqueAlmendares...... (see45) US InterestsSection...... Tryp HabanaLibrePharmacy...... (see34) Servicio deInternet...... Post Office...... (see4) Post Office...... Netherlands Embassy...... Immigration Office...... Ameijeiras...... Hospital NacionalHermanos German Embassy...... French Embassy...... Etecsa...... (see 43) DHL...... Clinica CentralCiraGarcía...... Cadeca...... (see 2) Cadeca...... Banco Metropolitano...... Banco Metropolitano...... Banco Metropolitano...... Banco FinancieroInternacional...... (see34) Banco FinancieroInternacional...... Banco deCréditoComercio...... (see62)

C 18 C Av 5

C 10 C

C 6 C Av 1

C 36 C Miramar 4 C Av 7 A

12 Av 41 Av ὈὈ ὈὈ

6 C 49-C C 15 14 13 12 11 10 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2271 45 Boca dela G4 C4 B6 E5 E5 E2 D2 F2 B6 F2 C3 E2 D3 C3 A4 D6 G2 D3 A5 C3 A5 E3 E5 E2 Chorrera

C 28 Marianao (2.5km) C 47 28 C

Nightclub (2km);

B SLEEPING To Tropicana Tryp HabanaLibre...... Melba PiñedaBermùdez...... José AGarcìa...... Iris yFelipe...... Hotel Victoria...... Hotel Vedado...... Hotel StJohns...... Hotel Nacional...... Hotel MéliaCohiba...... Casa Silvia...... Ana LiviaGrimanyRojo...... C 26 C

C 28-A Vedado

C 22 C

22 24 C 54 C 18 C

C 20 C Malecón

C 49-C C C 23

C 16 C Río Almendares 14 C Malecón C 1

C 12 C C 3

C 10 C C 16 C C 5 ὆὆὆὆὆὆὆὆὆ ὆὆὆὆὆὆὆὆὆ ὆὆὆὆὆὆὆὆὆ ὆὆὆὆὆὆὆὆὆ ὆὆὆὆὆὆὆὆὆ ὆὆὆὆὆὆὆὆὆ ὆὆὆὆὆὆὆὆὆

C 23 Revolution Plaque

C 8 C Calzada 53 C 28 C Calz de Zapata C 14 C

C 35 26 C 26 C 6 C 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 26 25 24 Av Kohly C Straits of

Florida 7

La Torre La Socialist

C A C C2 D4 D4 F3 C3 D4 F3 E2 F2 F2 40 4 C

Necrópolis CristóbalColón 12 C

C 23 C

C 24 C

C 2 C C B C C 10 C EATING El Conejito...... Decameron...... Coppelia...... Trattoria Maraka's...... Pan.com...... Paladar LosAmigos...... La Roca...... 33

C C C

Nuevo Vedado 36 C 8 C 50

Terminal (3km) To Víazul

C 25 D C 2 San Antonio Chiquito Antonio San C 11

lonelyplanet.com

Paseo 24 C 13 Línea E C 60

C 15 9 C 27 F C

C 17 44 48 19 deNoviembre

32 C 19

Train Station Tulipán

C 21 18

Calz de D Loma

C 23

Zapata 25 11 C 37 C 35 14

Av de Colón C 39 C 25 Panorama 4 C 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 C 9 C 31 C 27

Factor F2 C4 F2 F2 E2 C3 F2 C 37 H C C 29

C 35 C 33

Lombillo C G (Av de los Presidentes) los de (Av G C Opus Bar...... Centro dePrensaInternacional...... Café FresayChocolate...... Callejón deHamel...... Anfiteatro ParqueAlmendares...... ENTERTAINMENT DRINKING 47

C 39 C I C 55 To CiudadDeportiva(1km); 61 José MartíInternational lonelyplanet.com Airport (25km) Ὀ Ὀ E Línea

Av de Carlos M de Céspedes 15 51 Revolución Plaza dela

Castillo del C J C

Príncipe

21 C K C

5 L C 3 Aranguren 4 30 19 35 HAVANA ••Vedado 39

Av Universidad de LaHabana

C 19 de Mayo de 19 C Av de la Independencia 52 Universidad

Estadio Juan C M C 46 45 44 43 42 Abrahantes 38

G3 B6 D2 F2 C4

C N C

Pozos Dulces Pozos 34 O C Av 20 de Mayo de 20 Av 63 64 43 Cine CharlesChaplin...... Casa delaCulturaCentroHabana... Casa delaAmistad...... Casa deCulturaRobertoBlanly...... Jazz Café...... Estadio Latinoamericano...... El HurónAzul(Uneac)...... El Chevere...... Cuba...... Conjunto FolklóricoNacionalde Cine Yara...... Cine Riviera...... 28

Calz de Ayestarán F 17 41 27 Molinos

Calz del Quinta

de los 58

C P C Luaces Bruzón 31 29

Humboldt 62 Cerro

Av Salvador Allende

59 Infanta Malecón (Av Maceo) (Av Malecón

Ὀ ὈὈ Pocito Francisco San San Lázaro Príncipe

Vapor

San Miguel

San Rafael Espada Calz de Infanta de Calz Salud Jovellar

Zanja

56 Hospital

46 San Lázaro

Caleta de Aramburu 1 0 0

Arroyo (Av Manglar) Parque Maceo 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47

Enrique Barnet Concordia Soledad

Neptuno Peñalver Santo Tómas Maloja C2 G6 E3 B6 C3 F2 E3 Desagüe C4 G4 D3 E5

Santa Marta Sitio G Benjumeda

Virtudes

San Martín Clavel Oquendo

San Lázaro

Vía RentaCar...... (see34) Rex...... Cubatur...... Cubana deAviación...... (see62) Airline Building...... Aerocaribbean...... (see 62) Promociones deICAIC...... (see52) Teatro NacionaldeCuba...... Teatro AmadeoRoldán...... Mittabana CafeCantante...... (see61) La Madriguera...... Jazz ClubLaZorrayElCuervo...... TRANSPORT SHOPPING Marqués Gonzáz Marqués

Lucena

Varela

See Habana Vieja & Centro Padre San Carlos San Habana Map (pp142–3)

Manglar

Carmen Escobar Padre Varela Padre Lealtad Av Simón Bolívar

Zanja

Rastro Figuras Perseverancia H

Máximo Gómez 0.5 miles Av de México de Av Campanario 64 63 62 61 60 59 58

Vieja (0.5km) Cuchillo

Cristina

(closed)

Station Recio To Habana

Train Manrique F2 F3 F2 E5 D2 F4 F2

1 km San Nicolás Italia de Av 4 6 1 3 2 5 Blanco

147 CUBA CUBA CUBA tours inSpanish/EnglishCUC$2/7) Trocadero btwnAgramonte &Av guided delas Misiones; showcase ofshowcase purely Cubanartinanew, .museonacional.cult.cu; admissionone/bothbuildings Central Teatro deLaHabana for the guided tours. Bookinadvance Blanco andWilfredo Lam. is it.Lookespecially forworksbyCollazo, one artgalleryin Cuba,make sure thatthis ally distinguished building.Ifyouonly visit fully wheelchair-accessible andarchitectur- Gainsborough. and byElGreco tocanvases Roman mosaics ing inworldartfromGreek sculpture and appoint, displayingahuge collectiontak- dis- national artcollectionanditdoesn’t bitthepartofsocial club),looksevery a Asturianasful Centro (aformerSpanish inthewonder-main building,housed CUC$5/8; de BellasArtes ings, collectively calledthe intwostrikingbuild- collection ishoused Cuba’s largest andmostimpressive art MUSEO NACIONAL DEBELLASARTES fanatics debate their favorite teams. the famous andarguing thisis laughing nearthestatue; erectedstatue men inCuba(1905).You’llsee Cuba. of see p156 theNationalBallet ), mostnotably Havana’s bestperformanceshere (CUC$20; ing thedaytime,youcancatch someof As wellasvisitingforaguidedtourdur- geously beautifulbuildinginsideandout. 1907and1914,thisisanoutra- between Prado No458;guidedtoursCUC$2; entry museum is free). here onalternate Fridaysat4:30pm(when are free ening lookintoavery different world.There is perfunctory.Despite that,it’sanenlight- shrines andanyattempt toeducate visitors theartifactsareIn this‘museum’ actually by disguisingthemasChristiansaints. cretly worshipped their owngods(orishas) forcibly converted toChristianity,theyse- of aTrojan whenAfricanslaves Horse; were istodaysomething lonial times,themuseum Like thepracticeof thereligion duringco- 148 Across fromthe Gran Teatro is Just northof isthe theCapitolio The AAA • ihs HAVANA ••Sights

Mp pp142-3) (Map h Colección de Arte Cubano Colección deArte tambores 10am-6pm Tue-Sat, 10am-2pmSun) esquina caliente,

(Map pp142-3 ; pp142-3; (Map (drumjams/ceremonies) and thevery first Martí

(Map pp142-3 ; pp142-3; (Map up theroadisa h % where baseball Museo Nacional Museo 9am-5pm) 863-9484; www

Mp pp142-3; (Map % 861-3077; Parque . Built . The Gran flame to prove it. revolution’s holiestshrines andhastheeternal world historyin1956.Todaythisisoneof the that ushered and81others into FidelCastro hometothe18m‘yacht’ has been Pavillón Granma into thebackyardandvisitglass-encased charged extratobringin your camera. in thedownstairs Hall of Mirrors. You’llbe tory. There are often goodtemporary exhibits than brilliantfornewcomers toCubanhis- rative linkingthemtogether, makingitless mented inhuge there’s detail, nooverall nar- are while individualevents However, docu- documents andrevolutionary ephemera. exhibition boastsrare photographs, original ishere,Cuban Revolution andalotmore. The Everything youwanted toknowabout the and theinteriors decorated byTiffany’s. preserved offices is fascinating,withseveral convened untilthe’60s,buildingalone sination attempt andwhere cabinet Castro’s Presidencial, site assas- of the1957Batista a few hours.intheformerPalacio Housed andiswellworth sights most important per personCUC$2; No1;admissionCUC$5,guidedtourinSpanish 4092; Refugio The MUSEO DELAREVOLUCIÓN the Washington andHavanabetween don’tmiss office andfindyour own way. or justbuythemap (CUC$1)attheticket you cantake afree guidedtour(tipexpected) or ums. It’svery tostrollthrough, pleasant cemetery, famousforitselaborate mausole- Calle 12;admissionCUC$1; pp146-7; ers isthehuge cinemas and theaters. Línea –bothfullof shops, restaurants, bars, The mainstreets of Vedado are 23and Calle ground of boththebusiness andpoliticalelite. and culturalscenes,thefavored play- center of thecity,withitsmostvibrantarts the wealthy. Despite that,it’sinmanysenses centuries asaresidential suburbforthe veloped onlyinthelate 19thandearly20th HabanaCentro andHabana Vieja,beingde- Vedado isaworldawayfrom (‘forest reserve’) Vedado Vedado’s mostobvious attractiontotravel- it’spossibletowalkout From themuseum To betaken totheheartof thestand-off US Interests Section Section US Interests Museo delaRevolución Museo % 830-4517; entrancecnrCalzadadeZapata& h

Mp pp142-3) (Map Necrópolis Cristóbal Colón Necrópolis Cristóbal 10am-5pm) h Mp pp146-7; (Map 9am-5pm) isoneof Havana’s

, which since 1976 Mp pp142-3; (Map lonelyplanet.com ,

Cuba’s largest % Granma 833-3551; % (Map (Map 862-

pp146-7 ; Calles15&17btwn68) lots of dramahassurrounded this building, since itfirst openedin1977.Inrecent years the center of ColdWar–stylewranglingever broadcast messages and news through anbroadcast messages andnewsthrough especially sincetheUSdecisionin2006to Calzada btwnCallesL&M,Vedado) Book yourstayonlineatlonelyplanet.com/hotels unrivaled afternoon light unrivaled afternoon light is enchanting. the pastiche of architectural gems inHavana’s scene, many photosof thisseaside ably seen you’vewas constructed in1901.Though prob- Malecón place. wrong intent onblowingwhistlesifyoustopinthe government and lotsof guardsare officious around here, it’savery sensitive center of circling vultures enjoying the updrafts. viewsofyou’ll get close-up somefantastic viewpoint. Ifyougolate intheafternoon 129m-high tothe enclosed ride theelevator dedicated toJosé Martí insidethememorial; ence ityourself. There’s museum athoughtful Join thecrowdonMay 1ifyouwanttoexperi- h 2347; admissionmuseum&toweradult/studentCUC$5/3.50; shaped, 142m-high million supporters frominfrontof thestar- addressed upto1.2 occasions, FidelCastro rate national heroJoséMartí. Onimportant tocommemo- actually builtunderBatista ultimate symbolof revolution, was Castro’s the vast Almendares ( p156 ) and a golfcourse miniature many facilitieshere, includinganantiquated enade, plantsgrowprofusely andthere are chaotic Havana. linetheriver prom- Benches pp146–7 ) isawonderful oasisintheheartof 23, the bridge onCalle memorating his life. December 8there are musicalvigilshere com- ofstatue John loungingonabench. Every unusual (andnonetooflattering) bronze is thickwithpropaganda and police. obscure thebillboard.Unsurprisinglyarea park’ outsidewithhundreds of flagpolesto government hasbuiltan‘anti-imperialism electronic billboard.Inretaliation theCuban by its huge ‘Che’ mural. Be carefulby itshuge walking ‘Che’mural.Be on theplaza’snorthsideiseasilyidentifiable Most peopleare tolearnthat surprised Havana hasbecomesynonymouswiththe The Running alongtheRíoAlmendares below fansshould visit Beatles 9:30am-5pm Mon-Sat) Ministry ofthe Interior Ministry (Map pp146–7 that ), its8kmseawall Plaza delaRevolución , the Memorial JoséMartí Memorial and 17mMartí statue. Parque Almendares

Anfiteatro Parque , which has been at , which hasbeen playground Parque Lennon (Map pp146–7 ), (Map pp146–7 ) withitsrather HAVANA ••HavanaforChildren . ( %

(Map (Map (Map 859- No 9 btwn Mercaderes & Oficios; admissionCUC$1; &Oficios; No 9btwnMercaderes Calle FNo157, Vedado) Oficios No 110 bajos btwn Lamparilla No110bajosbtwnLamparilla Oficios & Amargura) % .cubanacan.cu; Calle23No156btwnCallesO& P, Vedado) [email protected]; CalleLuz No115btwn SanIgnacio& [email protected]; yMaritza Ramón CASAS PARTICULARES Habana Vieja whole you’llbepayingfarmore for far less. isgood,butonthe exceptions where service on afive-star experience. There are afew hotel Havana, unless you’re planning tosplashout particularthanahotel anywherea casa in You are much, much better in off staying SLEEPING deViajes Agencia San Cristóbal Cubatur Cubanacán lowing arrange similar tours: Cienfuegos overnight (CUC$140).Thefol- tours toViñales(CUC$50)andaTrinidad– atCUC$80).Otheroptionsinclude (starting TropicanaNightclub and theout-of-town CUC$40, includinglunch andopenbar) as daytripstomegaresort Varadero (from flung attractionsthattours are for,such useful tion tothecity,it’sprobably themore further can bevery enlightening andagreat introduc- tours of Habana Vieja (CUC$18,halfaday) but they’re While definitely notnecessary. thecityalone, little timeorinclinationtosee Havana tours canbeconvenient ifyou’ve got TOURS (p159). Este del 5pm Mon-Sat,9am-1pmSun) Aquarium city’s rich history.There’s alsothefreshwater around anoldfortress andget ataste of the CUC$5; delaCabaña de SanCarlos travelers. Kidswillenjoyatriptothe lack of thingstodomaydismaysomeyounger dren andthecombinationof theheatand Havana isnotanobvious placetobringchil- HAVANA FORCHILDREN building. tallest depending onyourviewpoint)thatisCuba’s and-yellow architectural wonder(orblunder, Focsa Two blocksoff theMalecón Mis atCalle 861-9171/2; www.viajessancristobal.cu; Calledelos (Map pp146–7 ), themonstrousgreen- h (Map (Map pp146-7 ;

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El CUBA CUBA CUBA [email protected]; Cuba No611,Apt1btwnLuz &Santa 9877; SanIgnacio454 btwn Sol&SantaClara;rCUC$30; No 611,Apt2btwnLuz &SantaClara;rCUC$30; [email protected]; San Ignacio No 656 btwn Jesús [email protected]; SanIgnacioNo656btwnJesús smart private bathrooms inasimilarly styled Verde,Casa rent three good roomswith a superb roof terrace. English spoken. bathrooms andfridges andshare accesstoa of atmosphere. Thetworoomshave private agreathowever, option,friendlyandfull should beavoided byminimalists. Itis, inHavana,top colonialhouse thisplace rCUC$30; &Merced; María convent. Clara It’s excellentlylocated andfacestheSanta own bathroomandtheothertwoshare one. rooms allhave ceilings.Onehasits high islargehouse andattractive andits three F btwnCuba&SanIgnacio;rCUC$30; SantaClaraNo164,Apt 7352; [email protected]; patio to boot. and ithasasittingroomanopen-air furnishings, bathroomandpleasant fantastic There are tworoomsavailable, each with of OlgaLópezHernández’s nextdoor. casa tasteful apartmentisamirrorimage Noemi’s favorite. Meals available. French spoken. There’s oneroomontheterrace, which isour brave toclimbuptherickety enough stairs). supplemented byavastroof terrace (ifyou’re ensuite ceilingsare bathroomandhigh TV, CUC$30; ceniai.inf.cu; Teniente No115btwnCuba&SanIgnacio;r Rey issafe the house and friendly. refrigerator. There’s agreat roof terrace and The roomsshare abathroom,buteach hasa with private balcony,theotherwithair-con. two roomsopeningontoaninterior patio,one r CUC$30; [email protected]; &Muralla; Rey balcony. and Both roomsshare abathroom,livingroom well furnished andquietcolonialapartment. Clara; s/dinclbreakfast CUC$25/30; atmosphere. for recommendedgeous highly colonialhouse, Inquisidor; rCUC$25; 150 Chez Nous Blanca La Puerta Casa de Pepe & Rafaela dePepe & Rafaela Casa Verde La Casa Noemi Moreno Migdalia Caraballe Martin Caraballe Migdalia Olga LópezHernández ) Theparents of Fabio, theownerof La AAA • leig HAVANA ••Sleeping a a ) Huge roomswithtiledfloors, fridge, ) Acharming with colonialhouse

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.habaguanex.com; ObispoNo252;s/d/steinclbreakfast and restaurant with superb views. remarkable –andthere’s agoodrooftop bar are decent–generally large andairy,ifun- throbbing heartof OldHavana. Therooms a pop),theAmbosMundosfeels like the which isstillacceptingvisitors atCUC$2 wrote expectittobe(Hemingwaymight partially ai www.habaguanex.com; ObispoNo15;s/d/steCUC$95/160/200; ahead. naded courtyardwillimpress anyone–book atmosphere. Thetwo-tierarched andcolon- beautiful façade,attractive roomsandaclassy location, the Floridahasitall–afantastic CUC$95/160/200; staff are charming. bar-restaurantfantastic inthecourtyardand rooms overlooking thecourtyard.There’s a book wellaheadandrequest oneof thebigger out withantiques.It’sextremely popular,so just 11beautifullyappointed roomsdecked This atmosphericcolonialcourtyardhotel has s/d/steinclbreakfast CUC$80/130/150; & Muralla; 8330; www.habaguanex.com;SanIgnacioNo411btwnSol Hostal BeltrándeSantaCruz HOTELS decorated with Moorish tiles. withantiquesand colonial mansionstuffed ards of service. enormously, sodon’t countonthebeststand- vary reportsceilings. However, onthestaff floors many withbalconies, mosaic andhigh restored hotels. Roomsare wellappointed, here,to stay oneof Havana’s mostbeautifully atrium ontheupperfloorare reasons enough pillared lobbyandwonderfulstained-glass CUC$115/200/240; guanex.com; cnrAmargura&SanIgnacio;s/d/ste inclbreakfast ofneed a refit. the cheap bathroomfixtures are already in inthespiritofalthough, mostCubanhotels, good facilitiesandare attractively furnished of theroomshave balconies,andallhave courtyard intheheartof theoldtown.Six nine roomssurroundingaverdant colonial atmospheric,withonly away isfantastically incl breakfast CUC$95/160/200; No202;s/d/ste 9293; www.habaguanex.com;Mercaderes Hotel Ambos Mundos AmbosMundos Hotel Florida Hotel Hotel CondedeVillanueva Hotel Hotel Raquel Raquel Hotel For Whomthe BellTolls ) Not nearly the museum pieceyou Notnearlythemuseum Book yourstayonlineatlonelyplanet.com/hotels ai Mp pp142-3 ; (Map ai

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) Plaza de Armas, the Santa Isabel feels some- Isabel Plaza deArmas,theSanta its enviable location onthequietsideof the tistic hangoutenjoys aprimeposition,great how outof of themelee Habana Vieja,acool, s/d/ste inclbreakfast CUC$190/240/340; .habaguanex.com; BaratilloNo9btwObispo&NarcisoLópez; Book yourstayonlineatlonelyplanet.com/hotels rooms, stylish décorandasuperb roof terrace. rCUC$25-30,trCUC$45) San Miguel; Aguila No367btwnNeptuno& [email protected]; available. Meals and Nilo,thehosts,are warmandwelcoming. its ownprivate ensuite bathroomandCary fittings such asfridge andair-con. has Each roomsarecomfortable bothquiet, withnew removed fromthetouristcrowds. Thetwo charmer andiswell isinthe heartof Centro a rCUC$25; No216btwnConcordia &Virtudes; .com; Gervasio facilities. private shares abathroom, theotherhasitsown Prado andtheMalecón. Thecheapest room an excellentlocationjustmomentsfromthe super-cleanbright, isagreat house deal with tional Havana colonialhome,JuanCarlos’ 107 btwnColón&Trocadero;rCUC$20-25; bathrooms. private well appointed withantiquefurniture and ing room.Theroomsare spaciousandvery place –lookoutforthecarparked intheliv- eccentrichusband callsit)isafantastic, Dinorah(asherknick-knacks, theMuseo with antiquesandwhatwe’llcharitably call stuffed rooms inabeautifulcolonialhouse &Beloscaín;rCUC$20-25; btwn Gervasio One of thebestplaces in town. love fromAbel’s wife andexcellentmeals. bathrooms are supplemented bymotherly Habana.Centro Twogoodroomswithprivate pecuario Abel’s above colonialhouse alively & Trocadero;rCUC$20; .havana-house.webcindario.com; BlancoNo111btwnÁnimas o CASAS PARTICULARES Centro Habana phone and minibar. ture iron-framed beds,large bathtubs,TV, overlook theplaza,allhave balconiesandfea- calm oasisof luxury.Its27rooms, 20of which Hotel SantaIsabel Hotel La Casa deEsther La Casa Colonial Casa Juan Carlos Dinorah ) Thisrepeatedly reader recommended Casa Abel Casa (free-enterprise vegetable market) in

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Calle MNo253;mainsCUC$5-6; the backof inoneof acolonialhouse the littleplaceistuckedThis pleasant awayat able eating little Thumper. uncomfort- andfish dishesforthose seafood dish forit.There’s of alsoagoodselection younameit,they’vesauce… gotarabbit rabbit inBurgundy rabbitinaioli sauce, Delicious specialtiesincludeCreole rabbit, suggest.rabbit, asitsSpanish namemight and red tablecloths. Ohyes,andit’sallabout ily litanddecked outindarkwoodfittings a very smart‘English-style tavern,’ mood- 253; rabbitsCUC$4-7; staff. attended byliveried salon, stained-glass (butterfly lobster; CUC$18)inthemain small bar,ordineon inthe Still,youcanenjoyacocktail self. city, it’saratherfadedversion of itsformer likesic although, mostthingsclassicinthe air-conditioned spaceisanoldHavana clas- specials CUC$3-8; from Parque Lennon. relaxed studentcrowdjustaroundthecorner fries are goodtoo,andtheplaceattractsa pizzas, fresh fishand a good wine list. large of selection imaginative starters togrills, point isthefood– it’salldelicious,fromthe and are often fullof diners. Thereal high from musicalinstruments toantiqueclocks dining roomsare bedecked witheverything come here onceinside. Thequirkilydecorated to side, butyou’llbegladyoumadethe effort 16; btwn Paseo &Calle2;appetizersCUC$3.50-5.50,mainsCUC$9- or spinach cannelloni. lasagna if youdo,trytheGreek gooey salad, attention, but to workhardget thestaff’s Vedado’stion justoff mainstrip.You’llhave upvery loca- goodpizzainauseful serves average,it wouldbedeeply butitactually 12; O No260btwnCalles23&25;pizzasCUC$6-7,mainsCUC$8- should book ahead. cooks upisremarkably popular,soyou awards, buttheCubancuisinekitchen smarter parts of Vedado. Itwon’twinany best places for sandwiches andburgers.best placesforsandwiches The on therude,butpan.comisoneof Havana’s Trattoría Maraka’s Trattoría Maraka’s Paladar LosAmigos El Conejito La Roca Decameron h h noon-11pm) noon-11:45pm) Mp pp146-7; (Map Mp pp146-7; (Map Mp pp146-7; (Map h It’s easytomissontheout- Thishandyplacelookslike h midday-12:30am) Mp pp146-7; (Map noon-11pm)

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the topfloorabove theprestigious Teatro D; across theroad)andit’sstillabrilliantplace, here (inaspot withagoodviewof thesailors No 304; BarDosHermanos Habana Vieja&Centro DRINKING lonelyplanet.com inated foranOscar. It adjoinstheICAIC named after thecult ’90sCubanmovie nom- Thu-Sun) cnr Calles23&12; and contacts expat friends. generally topickupthebuzz,and make favored byjournalistsandisagoodplace 23 &O; Havana, theentire place is nonsmoking. spot.Unusually for a great out-of-the-way and comfycream leather-effect chairs, thisis by tourists.Withgreat views,goodcocktails toworryabout itbeingoverrundon’t need Amadeo Roldán,isquirkyandyoucertainly Opus Bar Vedado regular characters keeping things lively. promptu concerts,apacked barandlotsof thingsget night every busyhere withim- intheheartofright Habana Viejaisagem – midnight) characters. andcolorfulfeaturing strongcocktails phere, you can’tbeatthisbig,openplace & Compostela; connections. Hemingway ifthereplace foradaiquiri,even are no enjoyable atmosphere. Thisisourfavored here drinksare halfthepriceinafarmore dously over-priced Floridita, andcharmless La popular barstrip,nextdoortothehorren- No 410; and atmosphericplacefor a tipple. like atouristtrap.Despite that,it’sstillafun Hemingway favorite buttodayfeels rather mayhave Bodeguita a been famous bar,La Empedrado No207; trail. tourist ifthemajorityeven of peoplehere are onthe andafriendlycrowd,with goodcocktails h Café Fresa yChocolate Fresa Café Internacional dePrensa Centro Paris Café La BodeguitadelMedio Restaurante-Bar Viñales Restaurante-Bar Bar Monserrate 3pm-2am) h h h Thisunexpectedly excellenthotspot An artycrowdpatronizes thisplace, Mp pp146-7; (Map 24hr) 9am-7pm) 10am-midnight) h (Map (Map pp142-3 ; ObsipoNo202; OnceLorcaproppedthebarup This Havana timewarp,on h h 10am-midnight) HAVANA ••Drinking Mp pp142-3; (Map

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861-3436; SanPedro 860-9751; Obrapía % % h 867-1374; 826-3629; 10am- Formerly counter-cultural Mecca Patio de % hosts excellent salsa concertswithlots ofhosts excellent salsa María, thispeso-charging of house culture singing) from 5pm Thursday. Saturday, orjazzand on Wednesday,bolerosfrom10pm to2am peña tual life inCuba. Head here foranAfro-Cuban reviled state-run center of artistic andintellec- of CubanWriters &Artists),theoncemuch deCuba(Uneac;NationalUnion y Artistas cial clubof theUniónNacionaldeEscritores H; admissionCUC$1-5) to callaheadandsee what’s on. play here onaregular basis,it’salways best of late. WhilesomeexcellentCubanbands like oneof thecity’sless musicjoints essential delaTrova looking be, buttheCasa hasbeen Headquarters of Havana’s Lázaro No661;admissionfree; can bealotof fun too. Habanadivey Centro clubof name the same less touristyatmosphere, theslightly although a much more authentic programof musicina lowing thecabfare toget outhere andenjoy the superiorbyfar. It’sprobably worthswal- Miramarisreckoneddistant bylocalstobe delaMúsicainHavana,Casas theoutpostin 20; Miramar 4727; Av deItalia;4pmmatineeCUC$5,nightCUC$15-25); and dancingcontinuesuntilthe early hours. performed outside. Performances at9pm start and Saturdaytheplacecomesalive withmusic a refined atmosphere, onTuesday,Thursday it’s justagreat placeforadrinkordinnerin While onMonday,WednesdayandFriday Cubanjazzandotherlive music. quality salsa, Vedado, istheplacetocomeinHavana for stunning colonialmansionintheheartof noon-2am Sat) h No 406;admissionMon,Wed&Fri/Tue, Thu&Satfree/CUC$5; delaAmistad Casa MUSIC SALSA & TRADITIONAL Music Live ENTERTAINMENT actors, directors and theater folk. film institute andattractsasolidcrowdof Casa de Cultura Roberto Blanly Roberto deCultura Casa delaTrova Casa delaMúsica Casa El HurónAzul h noon-11pm Mon, Wed & Fri, noon-1amTuenoon-11pm Mon,Wed&Fri, &Thu, 881-0722; Calles37No 262;admissionCUP20-50) (musicalperformanceorget-together) ( 8pm-2am Tue-Sat, shows10pm) % 202-6147; Calle20No3308;admissionCUC$15- This superbvenue, ina housed

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CUBA CUBA CUBA underground cavern onVedado’s maindrag. Havana’s mostfamousjazzclubisinafunky 02; Calles23&O,Vedado; admission CUC$10; Paseo &Calle39;admission CUC$5-10; Cantante HabanaCafe Mi Nightclubs 8pm on Saturday. include reggae at8pmon Friday andrapat peñas of FrankDelgadoandInteractivo. Regular phitheater & RíoAlmendares; admissionCUP2-5) here. performing There are alsogoodrapandrumbagroups to comeexperienceCuba’sbestreggaeton. Asociación Hermanos Saíz,thisistheplace Sat) mission CUP40; los Molinos,cnrCalzadadeInfanta&SalvadorAllende;ad- La Madriguera ROCK, REGGAE&RAP of Havana’s bestjazzcomboson stage here. thedanceflooristiny.You’llgetthough some timba theclubswingsintoactionwithjazz, night, Malecón At isperfect cocktails. forsunset This upscalesuppercluboverlooking the dePaseo;Galerías minimumCUC$10; drink some truejazzgreats on the stage. International Jazz Fest, where youmayfind Make here abeeline forjamsheldduringthe local jazzaficionadosandcurioustourists. hot. It’sadark,smokyspaceshared between from theentranceandaskaroundforwho’s entirely atimetable onwho’splaying.Get the kindof you’llhave night here depends As withmostjazzclubsaroundtheworld, Jazz ClubLaZorrayElCuervo at this wild place. 11am) btwn Aramburu&Hospital;admissionbydonation; encouraged. is Sábado deRumba–audienceparticipation CUC$5; % place to locals. meet Saturdayfrom8pm.Agreatdancing every 156 JAZZ Callejón deHamel Callejón Nacional Conjunto Folklórico Anfiteatro Parque Almendares Anfiteatro Jazz Café Homeof theyouthwingof Uneac,the 830-3060; Calle4No103btwnCalzada&5;admission Another recommended rumbahappens AAA • netimn HAVANA ••Entertainment (musicalperformancesorget-togethers) h (contemporary salsa) and salsa, al- andsalsa, (contemporary salsa) from 3pmSat)

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place to head for high-kicking scantilyclad place toheadforhigh-kicking 4pm, show10pm) ingly empty Plaza de la Revolución isincon- ingly emptyPlazadelaRevolución Teatro NacionaldeCubainVedado’s haunt- A &28-AinParque Almendares; admissionCUC$10-15; Mon-Sat, 9am-3pmSun) admissionCUC$10; Prado &SanRafael; Gran Teatro deLaHabana Theater glitz willnot leave disappointed. here) wantingsomeold-styleCuban andthose key scenein bring acamera),butGreene fans(yesanother overpriced (andyou’llbecharged extrato dated thingsincethe’30s.It’shorrendously dancers whohave doingtheirrather been Marianao; Tropicana Nightclub Cabarets Almendares atVedado’s furthest end. ists inalarge complexbythebeautifulParque this placehostsagoodmixof localsandtour- h and T-shirts’ dress code. performs here regularly. There’s a‘noshorts and goodDJs.LocallyfamousbandSíntesis and gruously lively, salsa withnightly Sat) CUC$2; most theaters show Cubanmovies some 200theaters citywide. Movie tickets cost Havana hasavibrant cinemascene,with Cinemas conducting. Brouwer Trytocatch master Leo Sunday, inseason). Sinfónica Nacional(performingat 11amon in Havana of theOrquesta andistheseat theater isthebestplacefor classicalmusic seat Calzada &CalleD;admissionCUC$10) the lifetime of this book. of research, butshould beopenagainduring de Cuba. It was beingrefurbished atthetime children’s Nacional company and theBallet certs, foreign Colmenita theater troupes,La hostslandmarkcon- Plaza delaRevolución & before performances) Paseo &Calle39;per personCUC$10; and itsfounder Alicia Alonso. NacionaldeCuba dent: theacclaimedBallet associated withitsmostfamousresi-closely Teatro NacionaldeCuba El Chevere Teatro AmadeoRoldán Thissubterranean clubnextdoortothe midnight-4am)

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% Thismodern,886- h 204-5162; Calles49- h lonelyplanet.com h box office9am-5pm box office9am-6pm box office10am- % % % happens 832-4522; 861-3077; 879-6011; son acts 507 nearCalleG) concerts onoccasion(admission CUC$10). lonelyplanet.com there’s of stillagood selection paintings, Cuba, anditcanbe over-run withtourgroups, be thecheapest crafts market you’llfindin & Chacón; Fería delaArtesanía SHOPPING Industriales make the play-offs). October toApril(andbeyondif Havana’s Habana, justsouthof Centro in Cerro, from stadium 1:30pm onSundayatthis58,000-seat happen at8:30pmMondaytoSaturday and Zequiera No312;admissionCUP3) Estadio Latinoamericano Sports and Dolby surround sound. ings (premieres, foreign films, festivals etc) Cinematográfico (ICAIC)hasspecialscreen- the InstitutoCubanodelArte eIndustria Calle 23No1157btwnCalles10&12) gram of movies costs CUC$2. best popcorn.Admissiontoitsvariedpro- Havana’s mostfamouscinemaalsohasthe flowing from Hollywood. and asurprisingamountof mainstream fare Cine CharlesChaplin Cine Yara Cine Riviera love. They discussworkorschool;theytalkabouttheirdreams; theydrinkrum;andtalkabout What dopeopletalkaboutontheMalecón? Habana onMay1andwitnessaparade. school, hospital,theater orcometo orcinema;experienceafestival; seeanexposition ofart; Get ona How cantheinquisitive traveler findthe‘real’ Cuba? a Cuban can’tsing,theydance;ifdance,sing. It’s atraditionbornoutoftheunionbetweenIndians,SpanishandAfricans. It’sinourblood.If Why are Cubans dancers? suchskillful The Casa delaMúsicainGaliano[Av deItalia],BarMonserrate, andCafé Paris inCalle Obispo. What isyourfavorite Havananightout? Populares, fortheiraromaandtaste. What, inyouropinion,isthefinestCuban cigarandwhy? have beenabletorediscover theirculture. Thanks totherestoration workofcityhistorianEusebio Leal, It isaplacewhere everyone intheworldwantstobe. Could yousumupHavanainonesentence? Regla Yurisán Pentón Hernándezisapianistwholives inHabanaVieja. IN THEBLOOD How hasHavanachangedinthelast10years? h

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832-9430; Calles23&L) While thiswon’t Baseball games Baseball 830-9564; Calle23No The theater of Thetheater % % 831-1101; 870-6526; agropecuario located on this strip. other airlinesthat have in Havana offices are % 64) AirlineBldg,Calle23No 7524/25; www.aero-caribbean.com; 8:30am-noon Sat) .cu; AirlineBldg,Calle23No64; de Aviación p188. and p188 see Havana, west of Havana. to Forinformationonflights 0410) Airport International JoséMartí Air GETTING THERE&AWAY 23 y Chocolate (cornerCalles and 12 Fresa and DVD.AnotheroutletisinsideCafé (CUC$7) andclassicCubanfilmsonvideo nirs. There are alsofilm-themedT-shirts here, inCine Yara, souve- making fantastic Cuban movie posters (CUC$10)are onoffer Calles 23&L) or mojito (CUC$2). glasses (CUC$6) Club gear, such asmartiniglasses the FundaciónHavana ClubforcoolHavana Haggling isbothexpected and essential. jewelryandmore.woodwork, Cheeverything, guayaberas Promociones deICAIC Fundación HavanaClubShop To book a flight, take anumberat To bookaflight, [free-enterprise vegetable visita [free-enterprise market]; is located acoupleof doors down.Most 861-1900; Av delPuerto; is atAv delaIndependencia,25kmsouth-

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lonelyplanet.com Gerardo MachadoGerardo yMorales andBatista chapel and cobblestone streets. Dictators Americas, replete withgrassymoats, ancient one of thelargest colonialfortresses inthe ers thelongridge overlooking Havana. It’s built 1763and1774todenyattack- between ( time museum (admission CUC$2).There isalsoa inCubawasadded tothecastle lighthouse a tunnelunderthewalls.In1845 thefirst ing fromthelandwardsideanddigging the Britishcaptured ElMorrobyattack- protect the entrancetotheharbor. In1762 1630 onanabruptlimestoneheadlandto h del Morro outstanding. are the viewsof Havana tobehadfromhere trip,andplex makes foragreat half-day la Habana fromthecity’sport.Thecom- (MapCabaña pp142–3 de ), acrosstheBahía pressive One of Havana’s istheim- sights must-see CABAÑA PARQUE HISTÓRICOMILITAR MORRO- for the day. to make aneasyescapetobeautifulbeaches Playas delEste are themostobviousplace daytrip,whilethe for centuries,isamust-see tress delaHabana thathasguardedtheBahía whichCabaña, includestheprotective for- wonderful Parque Morro- HistóricoMilitar forTrinidadorSantiago.head straight The mosttravelers although the Cubancapital, There’s plenty toexplore inthevicinityof AROUND HAVANA % The The at lr 1 26 6:20am*,2pm,3:15pm, 4 276 Schedule Duration(hr) 10 Distance(km) (CUC$) fare One-way Santa Clara Destination FROMHAVANA’SSERVICES ESTACIÓN CENTRAL&LACOUBRE ataod ua 2(eua) 6 1-6 3:15pm(regular) 13-16 861 * fromLaCoubre. 32(regular) Santiago deCuba 8am-8pm) 862-0617; admissionCUC$4; 0(seil alternatedays&7pm 70(especial) days (especial) 8:25pm*,9:45pm* 4:45pm, alternate 7pm, Castillo de los Tres Santos Reyes Magnos Magnos SantosReyes delosTres Castillo Fortaleza de San Carlos dela Cabaña de SanCarlos Fortaleza

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cost around CUC$20. Guanabacoa tween and Guanabo. in Habanastation Vieja. Bus405runs be- thetrain near the rotundaatDesamparados line taurants the beach. simplefishthree res- hours CUC$2).Several (per hourCUC$12)andbeach chairs (per windsurfers (perhour CUC$6),catamarans green triangle). particularescasas inGuanabo(lookforthe it,andthereshould youneed are many provide escapefromHavana aneffortless beaches These 27km fromthecapital. nicest of thebeaches here) toGuanabo, tinues eastthrough 18kmeastofBacuranao, Havana, andcon- Playas Riviera, del Este (off Map pine-fringed pp142–3 ), beginsatHavana’s Histórico Morro-Cabaña. Militar from where it’saneasywalktotheParque 15to30minutesevery dawntodusk), Luz (Map pp142–3 (CUC$1, ) toCasablanca atric rock band. followed byaconcertMoncada,geri- cañonazo naled thatthecitygates were closing.The shotssig- from Spanish timeswhen these tired in19th-centuryuniforms,ahold-over byasquadat- Cabaña harbor sideof La del Che the othersideof the tive Havana skyline headquarters here.sure tovisitthecrea- Be hisrevolutionary established Che Guevara thefortress prison,andused asamilitary PLAYAS DELESTE Bus 400toGuanabo leaves hourlyfrom The beach islinedwith To get here, take theferry fromMuelle A taxi fromPlayas delEsteA taxi toHavana will at9pmacannonisfiredNightly onthe here.

(admission CUC$6) mirador Santa María delMar Santa María Museo deComandancia Museo beginsat8:30pm, rentals (viewpoint)on including

(the 159 CUBA CUBA CUBA Pinar, the northern coastal routePinar, the northerncoastal isfarworse) are generally goodalltheway toViñales(via time,from Januaryis atharvest to March. tobacco comesfrom here. Thebesttimetovisit soil.Themajorityin thesandy of export-quality tions, where theworld’sfinesttobacco thrives Juan yMartínez Abajo andtheVuelta planta- you’ll beguaranteed a rewarding trip. tine beaches, andexcitinghikes awaityou, Guanahacabibes, where superbdiving,pris- or continueheadingwesttothePenínsula de Viñales, famousforitsvastlimestonehills, as well extremely rural. Río, thecountrysidebecomesbreathtaking, theuninteresting cityofBeyond Pinar del site, this is Cuba’soutdooradventure hub. andone WorldHeritageBiosphere Reserves twoUnescobirding sprinkledthroughout nic. Withrockclimbing,caving, divingand rice fieldsandisoneof Cuba’smostsce- pinetrees,bacco plantations, sugarcane and lush partof theislandishometoendlessto- CubafromMexico.Channel separating This Havana Province tothe narrowYucatán The Western flankof Cubaextends from PROVINCE PINAR DELRÍO 160 Whether yougonorthtostunning If you’re drivingfromHavana, theroads Pinar delRíoProvince isalsohometoSan have thebestdivinginCaribbean. Fidel Castro spentseveral yearsimprisonedinthe1950s,islandisgenerallyconsidered to internalJuventud, flightsouthoftheCuban ashort mainland.Mostfamousforbeingwhere thantheincredible PuntaTrue divingfanaticsshouldlooknofurther Francesonthe Isla dela ISLA DELAJUVENTUD–THECARIBBEAN’S BESTDIVING? hotel busridefrom the you’re justa short the island’svery scarcerental carsandwanttodrive toNuevaGeronaeachevening. Fromthe here, sothere’s noalternative toeatinginthehotel unlessyou’re luckyenoughtohire oneof Thereis a30minute, CUC$20taxiridefromNuevaGeronaAirport. isabsolutely nothingout grin andbear,asstayinghere gives yourelatively easyaccesstothefantasticdiving. The hotel stay fordivers. It’saremote placewithexcellentroomsandvery bad food,whichyouhave to h by thisCuba’smake mostexcitingdiving. and rays,hugelobsters andcrabs,plentyofwrecks, dramaticcliffs andbrightcoralcombineto of beachtimebetweenonagorgeous, pristinestripofwhite sand.Manatees, sharks,lotsoffish every thetripto Punta dayaboatmakes Francesdivingsite dive, foratwo-tank with plenty IA E Í RVNE • iae PINAR DELRÍO ••Viñales PROVINCE The For more information,seeLonelyPlanet’s Flights totheisland’sadministrative center, Nueva Gerona,are operated several timesdaily Cubana deAviación 8:30am-4pm Mon-Fri, 8:30am-noonSat) 8:30am-4pm Mon-Fri, Hotel Colony

( %

Mp pp146-7; (Map 46-398-181; fax46-398-428;rhalfboardCUC$108; andcostCUC$86return. % 834-4446; www.cubana.cu; AirlineBldg,Calle23No64,Havana; International DivingCenter Cuba a nature-lover’s paradise and well deserving ofa nature-lover’s andwelldeserving paradise Quite unlike anywhere inCuba, else Viñales is pop 27,000/ VIÑALES from the capital. Habana-Pinarway ontotheAutopista delRío and themainchallenge willbefindingyour Banco deCrédito yComercio Information ers, withplentyof activities on offer. placebutonewell-adapteda sleepy fortravel- effectively breaking is thelaw.Viñalesitself center here; untilrecently allclimbers were climbing upanofficial ernment hasnowset thegov- Indeed, who enjoysagoodsunset. a center forclimbers, walkers andanyone flat butlush landscape,Viñaleshasbecome stone extrusionsthatpeppertheotherwise its famous With intheCaribbean. most dramaticsettings center, which nevertheless enjoysoneof the quiet andgenerally unremarkable townatits aswellthe extraordinary limestonecliffs The nameViñalesrefers toboththisarea of and often white-knuckle roadfromthesouth. Nacional Viñales,attheendof astunning within theSierradelosÓrganos is Parque its Unesco World Heritage Tucked site status. Cisneros No 58; guide. mogotes, h % 8am-3pm Mon-Fri) 048 ais bizarrely mammothlime-

( % ( 46-398-282) % ) is theplaceto lonelyplanet.com 79-31-30; Salvador where labyrinth of localnaturalhistorycreated by No 6;admissionbydonation; Dos Hermanas. Designedin1961,ittook 120m-long paintingonthesideof Mogote de laPrehistoria internet perhrCUC$6; Etecsa Etecsa Cubanacán Cadeca lonelyplanet.com Caverna deSantoTomás Caverna top of the the available. Forphenomenal valleyviews,hike the bar. psychedelic/horrific with a drinkat spectacle 15 peoplefive years tocomplete. Ponderthe from here (see right ). replete withreconstructed cave. Hikes out set onthehistoryofcollection focuses Viñales, Azcuy (1861–1914).Thesmall,butearnest, former homeof independenceheroineAdela h ( poetry and lore. and endemicplantsare peppered withhumor, Jesús Arencibia. Hisexplanationsof thefossils Parque Museo Prehistórico Mundo the giantT-Rex andteeny Martí –isthe groves andturkeys run amok. beside plasticdollheads,liliesgrowinsoft year-old of garden.Cascades orchids bloom by donation; las HermanasCaridad gate hungwithfresh fruit. Thisisthe inthetowncenter,station lookforafunky in thesceneryhere. Across fromtheCupetgas but it’sreally aboutkickingbackanddrinking hasafewtown itself mildlydiverting sights, Santo Tomás,a20kmdrive fromtown.The mogotes attractionsofThe stand-out Viñalesare its Sights Center Visitor Viñales Post office changes traveler’schecksathighercommissions than banks. h international calls. mines. Guided tours can be booked (CUC$8, mines. Guidedtourscanbebooked 2½ hours). road intotownfromPinar delRíobefore HotelLosJaz- 9am-6pm Mon-Sat) % The stand-out sight of sight theareaThe stand-out is About 4kmwestof Viñalesisthe The – look for stadium Just pastthebaseball 8:30am-6pm Mon-Sat)Givescashadvancesand 9am-10pm Mon-Sat,9am-4pmSun) Sendero AlMural Sendero 79-33-95; SalvadorCisnerosNo115;admissionCUC$1; (Ceferino Fernández(Ceferino No3)Internetaccessand ( % Museo Municipal Adela Azcuy Labrador AdelaAzcuy Municipal Museo andthefascinatingcave complexof Horseback riding ( h mogote; ( 79-63-34; Salvador Cisneros & Adela Azcuy; 79-63-34; SalvadorCisneros&AdelaAzcuy; % % 8am-5pm) 79-32-12; Ceferino Fernández79-32-12; Ceferino No14; 79-63-93; SalvadorCisnerosNo63C;

PINARDELRÍO ••Viñales PROVINCE (admission CUC$1; h allowan hour, round-trip. at the base of the cliff tothe of atthebase thecliff ( (Salvador CisnerosNo5;admission , asprawling,nearly100- 8:30am-12:30pm & 1:30-9pm) h (admission CUC$10; h

(per15min/1hrCUC$1/5) 8am-6pm) Onthemain 9am-6pm) (Adela Azcuy Norte Norte (Adela Azcuy h occupiesthe , anoutdoor 8am-7pm) h Jardín de Mural Mural 8:30am- Gran , a is

fastest, prettiest route isviaElMoncadaand of it’sCuba’slargest levels, galleriesoneight past thehourfrom8:30am.Withover 46km ground essential ground essential for planning. .com for exhaustive informationand back- Climbers should check www.cubaclimbing have collectively mappedover 300routes. ing of professionals fromaround theworld 2008. Amateur localclimbers andasmatter- fully legalwithapermitsystem asof early being tolerated bydefault,itwasfinallymade topclimbingdraws.After yearsCaribbean’s of Viñales hasfinallyarrived asoneof the ROCK CLIMBING 500m downhillfrom the trailhead. trail; it’snotquite aloopandleaves youabout with endemicplantsandorchids liningthe head). Thismakes agoodthree-hour hike (admissionfeeturn-off payableatthetrail- El Moncada,13kmfromtheDosHermanas a 5kmsignposted hike beginning2kmbefore can be arranged. in Spanish, English orFrench. Longer hikes from onetofourhours andare expertlyled to themore accessible andvisits local traditions,coffee plantations fromtobaccoing ineverything farmingto make agreat introductiontothearea, tak- lent Municipal( The Museo left ) offers five excel- HIKING Activities camp. can are available forrent Lucíaoryou inSanta Minas deMatahambre. Twoprivate rooms Jutías Cayo Restaurante begins4kmwestof Lucía.(causeway) Santa Jutías ing timewill cost CUC$15. Viñales. Acabthere andbackincludingwait- road toMinasdeMatahambre, 15kmfrom ‘play’. Thecavern isatElMoncada,off the and stonepercussive pipesthattheguidewill real formationsincludinggiantstalagmites for the1km,90-minute tourthattakes insur- slippery surfaces.Headlamps are provided fair bitof clamberingtobedone,over often asthere’s not sandals, Wear sturdyshoes, a eccentric guidesinbothSpanishandEnglish. cave system. Tours are given byfriendly,if 4pm) The For anidyllic is not to be missed. Tours leave isnottobemissed. athalf walking tours walking (admission incl 1 drink CUC$5) (admission incl1drink Maravillas de Viñales trail deViñales Maravillas

(tours CUC$5; beach ( h , headnorthto mogotes 9am-5pm) h . (admission CUC$1)

The 9am &3pm) . Tours last is here. The pedreplén that Cayo 161 is

CUBA CUBA CUBA in thecountrysidehere, beneathalooming of aroadoffthemainstreet, you’re almost stairs hasasmallpatio and is larger. a private roof terrace, whilethe onedown- with private bathroom.Theupstairs roomhas in climbing.There are tworoomshere, both is agoodfirst port of interested callforthose Rodriguez) isamineof informationandthis iting climbers Host Jaime tostay. (Oscar Jaime isthe favoriteing two-roomcasa placeforvis- SurNo43;rCUC$20; AdelaAzcuy yahoo.es; bathroom andaccesstoa gorgeous garden. style. There’s onebedroomhere withaprivate telephone) isanothercharmer rural inthesame r CUC$20) wealth of information. who speaksgoodEnglish andcanprovide a able. Her son,Edgar,isaleadinglocal climber room withaprivate bathroom.Meals avail- mogote. r CUC$20) Final; Norte 89-13; [email protected]; AdelaAzcuy back yard,andthedaughter speaks English. in theprice. There are twodecentroomsinthe former barmanandadailymojito isincluded ashort walkfromthemainroad,isa casa, No 43;rCUC$15-20; organized fornonguestsaswell as guests. small private kitchen. mealscanbe Excellent rooms; onehasair-con, theotherafanand block fromthemainroad.Itoffers twobasic runbyafriendlyyoungcouple, good casa well reproduced LonelyPlanetsignatthis CUC$15-20; Nelson Villa CASAS PARTICULARES Sleeping April isthepreferred climbing season. keen tohelptheindustrygrow.October to ing asmuch of itasyoucanhere withlocals your owngear andtobegenerous about leav- in itsinfancyhere, soit’sagoodideatobring permits.Ingeneral,obtaining climbingisstill ( Cafetal below ) forinformation andhelpwith climbers, El orEdgarRivery RicardoatCasa Oscar ( runs Casa below favored), acasa by eitherOscarcontact Jaime Rodriguezwho headingtoclimbinViñalesshouldthose permit processready atthetimeof research, 162 As thegovernment wasjustgetting the Casa Campo Casa Casa Oscar Casa Martínez –Martha ElCafetal Casa ElMojito Villa IA E Í RVNE • iae PINAR DELRÍO ••Viñales PROVINCE Beyond Martha’s (andsharing Beyond thesame Set inacharming gardenattheend Set Martha rents outonesuper-clean a

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a ( % 79-33-81, 69-55-16;leydisbel040610@ 01-52-23-90-68; CienfuegosNo4;r 01-52-23-89-13; Adela Azcuy Norte Final; Norte 01-52-23-89-13; AdelaAzcuy ) Theownerof thisfriendly 01-52-23-90-24; Adela Azcuy Norte Norte 01-52-23-90-24; AdelaAzcuy a

( Thisbuzz- % ) 01-52-23- as is La Ermita, with its stunning views, sweet withitsstunningviews,sweet Ermita, is La small placeisvery cozy, offering oneroom from nearly every room.ThepinkJazmines,from nearlyevery extraordinary viewsinthecountry,available comeherepaint ispeeling; foroneof themost aroundtheedgesis alittlerough andthatthe as sulfur baths and massages. ful –give itamiss. Instead enjoytheonsite older onesaren’t great. Thebreakfast isdread- of theexcellentnewerrooms(6to43)as surrounded bynature. Make sure youget one less abouttheviewsandmore aboutbeing SanVincente is neath thehillside,Rancho CUC$44/61; SanVicente Rancho Hotel HOTELS calm place,runbyan old lady. with aprivate bathroom.It’sabreezy and a fork andit’sthe last house. Whentheroadsplitsfollowleftright. DonTomásandtake thefirstRestaurant of thevillage. Fromthecenter of town,pass views towardsanearby both have private bathrooms.There are great Thetwolargefeeling house. bedroomshere r CUC$20; pizza and pasta place serves upbasicmeals place serves pizza and pasta CUC$2-4; if youaren’t aguest;just call ahead). mealeven (nearlyallwilldoanevening casa dares intown,soyourbestbetistoeata country. There simplyaren’t anydecentpala- has someof thepoorest foodonoffer inthe onlytoSantiagode Cuba, Viñales, second Eating &Drinking town. of the onlyhotel withineasywalkingdistance riding (CUC$5perhour)isavailable. Thisis mojitos are recommended. highly Horseback Poolside cabin-style roomsandfriendlystaff. with a cocktail. on thepatioandwatching thesungodown ish, there’s nothingbetter thansittingback miles around,andwhileitsroomsare small- in itscoveted hilltopposition,isvisiblefor El EstancoII Los Jazmines TinquilloVilla La Ermita ) Villa YudyVilla yEmilio Two houses before Twohouses YudyyEmilio,this ) ) Forget thefactthatthisstate-run place ThebestoptiontobehadinViñales h a as 11am-10pm)

Book yourstayonlineatlonelyplanet.com/hotels ) ( Another delightfully bucolic- Anotherdelightfully % (

% ( (Carretera de Puerto Esperanza;mains (Carretera dePuerto

% 79-60-71; s/dinclbreakfast CUC$58/74; ) Withitslovely be- setting 79-62-05; s/dinclbreakfast CUC$48/71; 69-51-58; Sergio Dopico30;rCUC$20; 69-51-58; Sergio ( This pleasant open-air Thispleasant

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69-51-68; Sergio Dopico32; 69-51-68; Sergio 79-62-01; s/dinclbreakfast mogote, attheend is acozyandfriendlyspotoutsidethetown Magnoliasbest foodtobehadintown,Las midnight) to Cueva delIndio,a to Cueva nearby cave. as well.It’s1kmnorthof town ontheroad ably lowprices,alocalvibeandcigarshop it’sfine,withagree-a hurry,butotherwise at aslowpace. Don’tcomewantingtoeatin lonelyplanet.com smwa vertiginous. somewhat as theyapproach Viñalesare dramaticand Honda.back route Bothroads viaBahía Pinar delRíoand themore adventurous quicker via the slightly oneonthehighway There are tworoutes toViñalesfromHavana – Getting There&Around tables. sidewalk thisplacealsohas liveDecimista, musicand patio. its from9pmandcoldbeers on music nightly No 102;admissionfree; at thethree big hotels. there’salthough often somesortof nightlife rest of theyearthere are twodecentbars, and drinkingattendedForthe bythousands. mid-December; it’safunweekend of music ties. Don’tmiss the annual Viñalesfestival in square, hasafullprogramof culturalactivi- delaCultura,situated onthemain The Casa Entertainment in, theplacecanfeel empty. eerily dining room.Still,unlessatourgroupcomes updecentfoodinitshuge alfresco serves isunquestionablytouristy,butstill taurant CUC$8; hard to recommend. droppingforadecadeandit’scurrentlybeen the picturesque have garden,butstandards it’s busywithtouristseatinganddrinkingin of Anynight theweek food andrudeservice. worsening withever it’safflicted but sadly inthecenter ofhouse towncouldbesuperb, 10; countryside. surrounding tive patiohere andenjoytheviewsof the the complete lunch (CUC$8)intheattrac- delIndio.center acrossfromCueva Sinkinto CUC$3-8; Restaurante LasMagnolias Restaurante El Viñalero El Viñalero SanTomás Restaurante Patio delDecimista yFinca SanVincente Ranchón h h 10am-9:30pm) h Across thestreet fromPatio del noon-5pm) 8am-4pm) (Salvador CisnerosNo105; PINARDELRÍO ••PenínsulaPROVINCE DeGuanahacabibes Thisbeautifullylocated res- With whatisprobably the This wonderfulcolonial h ( % 7pm-midnight) (

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% 79-60-62; mains 79-61-10; mains Serves live h 7:30am- h white-tail deer andahugewhite-tail deer populationof var- CUC$6/20). Has scooters(perdayCUC$25)andbicyclesday/week scooters. (CUC$6, 1½hours, 1.4km) isonhottarmac. cessible. Much of the DelBosquealMar ‘hike’ multigallery cave system of which 300misac- forest bydense and highlighted Perlas (CUC$8,three hours, 3km)is superior, guided hikes alongtwo deSanAntonio. toCabo Italian Theyalsorun guides offer tours inSpanish,English and Guanahacabibes Estación Ecológica Well withintheentrancetopark isthe Sights &Activities on thisroad. ied birdsare otherattractionsthatcanbeseen theday.Edibletreethroughout rats( basking ontherocks of iguanascanbeseen de SanAntonio,where thelocalpopulation with acarshouldtake theroadtowardsCabo Anyone two decenthotels between. tochoose a nature-watcher’s anddiver’s with paradise, fair share of stunningwhite beaches –thisis forests, mangrove swampsandmore thanits ferent madeupof –asemiwilderness huge del RíoProvince is famed. andprettyplantations villages forwhich Pinar west of thelushtobacco PinardelRíothrough long, attractive drive around150kmsouth- It’sa park andUnescoBiosphere Reserve. large Península deGuanahacabibes,anational The farwestern tipof Cubaismadeupof the % PENÍNSULA DEGUANAHACABIBES de SantoTomás(CUC$15, round-trip). to PinardelRío(CUC$10)orGranCaverna Taxis parked alongside thesquare willtake you TAXI Havanautos Cubanacán The followingagencies rent outwheels: CAR 3½ hours via Terrazas).Las hours viaPinardelRío)and2pm(CUC$12, Havana departures are at8am(CUC$12,3¼ opposite Viñales’mainsquare. Thetwodaily Víazul BUS However, the peninsula itself isvery thepeninsulaitself However, dif- 048 9am-2pm)

(Salvador CisnerosNo63A; (Salvador CisnerosNo63C; ( where amultilingualgroupof % 79-63-90) AttheCupet;rents out hiking trails hiking h 8am-noon &1-3pm) h ( Pearl Cave % 9am-7pm) , Cuevas las , Cuevas 75-03-66; jutías 163

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), CUBA CUBA CUBA information atthetimeof research. It’slocated established resortestablished enjoysidyllicisolation erty isthe bestoptiononthe peninsula. With half boardCUC$64/92; s/dinclbreakfast CUC$56/76,s/d www.gaviota-grupo.com; is of quality. fantastic Credit cardsare accepted here andthediving to reception pizzasandothermeals. withtasty and there’s abetter isprettyboard optionasthebuffet mediocre, out here, you’re thefull- better nottaking off and anexcellentbeach. Isolated asyouare for nondivers toowith awater-sports center it’sagreatexcellent diving,although place the beach. Mostpeoplecomehere forthe full of charm, iftheyaren’t even on right as they’re newer,lesscrowdedtogether and woods behind themainhotel. Goforthese, better woodencabinsscattered amongthe spiring two-storyblocksonthebeach, orfar accommodations are dividedupintounin- on itsowngorgeous palm-fringed bay.The perpersonCUC$26; full boardextra [email protected]; s/d/trinclbreakfast CUC$44/68/98, scene. package-tourist above average andare aworldawayfromthe the farsideof thenationalpark.Bothare ited tooneof twostate-run beach resorts on Accommodation onthepeninsulaislim- Sleeping &Eating yond thehotel de VillaCabo San Antonio. deSanAntonioMarina,by theCabo 3kmbe- 18) Snorkelers canridealong for CUC$12. dives.tion andintroductorycourses andnight & 3pm) 81-31; perdiveCUC$35,equipmentCUC$7.50; only openedhere in 2008. unknowntodivers,totally asthedivingcenter deSanAntonio,remainsbeyond Cabo almost ElCajón concentration,aroundPunta second with feather stars andTechnicolor corals.The wall, andElSalóndeMaría, cave a20m-deep Valle deCoralNegro,a100m-longblack-coral la Gordaandnumberover 30,includingEl sitesThe long-established are aroundMaría sites dive filled with tropical fish. Its saving graceistheterrific shoreline cenote 164 openedin2008andhadnotpublished price The The Hotel María laGorda María Hotel Villa Cabo de SanAntonio Cabo Villa The peninsula hastwolarge areas fullof ETA UA CENTRAL CUBA atHotel María laGordaoffers certifica- Puertosol International Dive Center Dive International Puertosol Cabo de San Antonio Dive Center deSanAntonioDive Cabo with incredible concentrationsof fish. a Thisrelatively new prop- ) á lacarte

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% 75-01- 77- excellent stretches of beaches across the arriving inCubaare heading.There are still where approximately halfthetourists which, whilenotcovered inthisbook,is dustry, themegaresort town of Varadero, to themotherlodeof Cuba’s touristin- CENTRAL CUBA de Cabo San Antonio. hotel. There attheMarina isagasstation Ecológicaandthe theEstación between the roaddeteriorates toadirttrackhalfway driverseasily, although shouldbeaware that San Antonio. Anycarcanmake thejourney at present de no publictransporttoCabo to Havana at2pmfromtheresort. There is leaving at8am.Thebusthenreturnsa seat), mand (callthemainhotel numbertobook ers fromhotels inHavana accordingtode- one way/return, five hours) collectstravel- Gorda. TheTransgaviota bus(CUC$60/100 tions connectingHavana with María La inbothdirec- There isadailybusservice Getting There&Around mosquitoes. the a dive restaurant. center andasecond Watch kilometers uptheroadthere isanewmarina, packets of butter!) andacoupleofto serve waiting prevails –check outthetongsused a decentrestaurant (where absurdlyformal hours’ drive beyondMaría Gorda. There’s La possible toget onmainlandCuba,agood1½ beach, thisreally isaboutasisolated asit’s wood roomsmomentsfromastunningwhite just 14spacious,beautifullydesigned,dark- gion toget onthewayto Oriente through – asare- central Cubashouldn’t justbeseen solemn lastresting Clara. placeinSanta So toric monuments includingCheGuevara’s his- in TopesdeCollantes and important in thesouth.You’llalsofindgood hiking north coast,aswellsomegood pockets geous backwater Remedios. Cuba such Claraandgor- asculturalSanta choice of farlessvisited gems incentral remains incontestable, there’s alsoagood Trinidad. Whilethebeautyof Trinidad visited place ontheisland,utterly lovely colonial towns,includingthesinglemost- ery itmakes upforwithahostof gorgeous What centralCubalacksindramaticscen- Of course centralCubaisalsohome Book yourstayonlineatlonelyplanet.com/hotels access. This placehasacoupleofterminalswithsketchy internet h Sat, 8am-noon Sun) Eduardo Machado; the latter more iscertainly scenic,thedriving While fast driving,ortheCarretera Central. thatmakes amultilanehighway Autopista, for rewarded. amply asmuchstop off asyoucanandyou’llbe lonelyplanet.com Blindado The Sights noon Sun) Post office The mostreliable internetaccess in town. Gómez &Villuendas;perhrCUC$6; TelepuntoEtecsa Dino’s Pizza DHL Cadeca Bandec Banco Financiero Internacional Information population andalively cultural scene. a progressive, friendlycitywithalarge student ClaraisinsteadSanta much better enjoyedas leaveary historyalonemight disappointed. comingherethose forthecity’srevolution- home totheextraordinaryChecult,although here in1997.As aresult Claraisofficial Santa remains were returned toCuba andburied of theCIAin1967andwascremated, his victory. WhilehediedinBoliviaatthehands being thesite of hismostfamousmilitary made thishisadopted homeduetothetown spent muchwho never time here. ‘El Che’ an Argentinean doctor-turned-revolutionary Wonderful Claraissynonymouswith Santa pop 210,700/ SANTA CLARA Trinidad andSantiago de Cuba. between and Remedios.There’s alsoaservice Clara) Santiago deCuba(stoppinginSanta daily goats andtractors. FromHavana there are can belaboriousasyoudodge carts, horse Vidal; For cashadvancesandcashingtraveler’s checks. No 6&Rafael Trista) 2pm Mon-Fri, 8-11am Sat) Banking 8-11amSat)Banking 2pm Mon-Fri, services. By carorbicycle,youhave thechoice of the 9am-10:30pm Mon-Fri, 9:30am-10:30pmSat&Sun) 9am-10:30pm Mon-Fri, ( % h Monumentos aErnesto CheGuevara Víazul ( ( % % 21-49-69; Cuba No 7 btwn Rafael Tristá & Tristá 21-49-69; CubaNo7btwnRafael 8:30am-6pm Mon-Sat,8:30am-12:30pmSun) are of withinwalking distance the (ColónNo10; 20-56-90; Rafael Tristá &CubaonParque Tristá 20-56-90; Rafael 21-81-15; Rafael Tristá &Cuba; Tristá 21-81-15; Rafael (Marta Abreu No10;perhrCUC$5; (Marta

(www.viazul.cu) % h CENTRALCUBA••SantaClara (Marta Abreu No55btwnMáximo (Marta 42 8:30am-4pm Mon-Fri, 8am-2pm 8:30am-4pm Mon-Fri, h 8am-6pm Mon-Sat,8am- buses toTrinidad, buses h ( % 8:30am-7:30pm) 20-74-50; Cuba h and 8am- Tren Tren northwest corner of Parque Vidal, withfres- Decorativas The Zalaya. by Camilo coes La Caridad small scale or large. music here, whetherimpromptuorplanned, tered. Anyweekend you’llfindlive evening of Clara,aroundwhich Santa thecityisclus- Parque Vidalisthecharming centralPlaza PARQUE VIDAL&AROUND has everything reconstructed.been and it’sagreat howwell spotsimplytosee bushed. Events are documented, painstakingly withintheveryis contained boxcars Cheam- Independencia justover theRíoCubanicay, (admission CUC$1; 29, 1958,onlylasted 90minutes. The troops. Amazingly,thisbattleonDecember 408heavilytrain containing armedBatista diculously brave ambushof a22-cararmored victory,whenheled18menintoari- tary is areconstruction of Che’s greatest mili- This rathereccentrictrainwreck (literally) BLINDADO MONUMENTO ALATOMA DELTREN TheGodfather shorn andlookinguncannilylike Brando in cal equipmentandarare late picture of Che Other ephemeraincludeguns,letters, medi- hamburger are twoof theless expected shots. playing golfandeatingwhatappears tobea number of Chephotographs –thegreat poser alarge contains 1997. Theadjacentmuseum littheeternal flameonOctoberCastro 17, mass grave inBoliviaandreburied here. Fidel wereing Guevara, recovered fromasecret In 1997theremains of 17of them,includ- killed inthatfailedrevolutionary attempt. niches dedicated totheguerillas stone-carved 38 Bolivia, andthemausoleumbelowcontains the 20thanniversary of murderin Guevara’s waserected Thestatue statue. in1987tomark Che formilesaroundwithitstall can beseen 9am-5pm Sun) (Av delosDesfiles;admissionfree; honor of The Ernesto‘Che’Guevara. inmonument, mausoleumandmuseum Clara’spremierSanta site isasemireligious MONUMENTO ERNESTOCHEGUEVARA catch or ataxi wise horse carriage. Parque Vidalifyouhave goodlegs;other- Buildings of note include the1885

(Máximo Gómez; performances CUC$2) (Máximo Gómez;performances

( is justoutsidethetowncenter and % . h 20-53-68; Parque Vidal No27;admission 9am-5:30pm Mon-Sat) h 9am-5:30pm Tue-Sat, Museo de Artes deArtes Museo , easton , inthe museum complex Teatro 165

CUBA CUBA CUBA two beautiful guest rooms stuffed fulloftwo beautifulguestroomsstuffed has inCuba,thiscasa-cum-paladar stay colonial house justoff themainsquare.colonial house Both Héctor offers twolovely roomsinhislarge &Parquebtwn Maceo Vidal;rCUC$20-25; is keen to help. English- andFrench-speaking owner,Ángel, well, andtheknowledgeable, warm-hearted, est chow-chow. Superbmealsare onoffer as andtheworld’scut- aviary, tortoise aspeedy geous verdant courtyard, alsohometoan andaccesstothe gor-bathroom, fridge, TV enjoysaprivateArt Decofurnishings. Each 25; rCUC$20- NicolasaEsteNo56btwnColón&Maceo; Maestra English isspoken andmeals are offered. terrace momentsfromParque Vidal.Some andaprivate roofwell-stocked fridge, TV roomwithadoublebed,safe,comfortable hasjustoneveryfriendly couple,ElCastillito & Pedro Estévez;rCUC$20; thisisa but otherwise great place somewhatdetractsfromthecolonialvibe, TV terrace andcourtyard.Granny’slove of loud withalarge colonialhouse room inapleasant well-appointed roomsbothwithprivate bath- &Independencia;rCUC$20; Martí yJoséRivero Vivian CASAS PARTICULARES Sleeping Gomez9B) Maximo them fromthe you can’tbuytickets there, buthave tobuy Cuban experienceascanbehad.Annoyingly tively unvisited bytouristsandasauthentica it’srela-nating experience,notleastbecause admission CUC$3; ( Check here fornighttime cultural activities. placeforthecity’sintellectuals.eral meeting rary artexhibitionsandfunctioningasagen- the historyof Clara,hostingcontempo- Santa h ( treat. a furniture andtreasures. The innerpatiois an 18th-centurybuildingpacked with period 6-10pm Sun) CUC$2; 166 % % A insidethetown’s glimpse West of theparkis Héctor Martínez Héctor o El Castillito a 8am-noon Mon,&1-5pmTue-Sun) 20-22-11; Calle Maceo 181btwnJulioJover&Berenguer; 20-22-11; CalleMaceo 20-55-93; Independencia&JBZayas;admissionCUC$1; ETA UA • at lr CENTRAL CUBA••SantaClara h ) Oneof themostlovely placesto 9am-6pm Mon, Wed & Thu, 1-10pm Fri &Sat, 9am-6pm Mon,Wed&Thu,1-10pmFri ,

Hostal Florida Center Hostal Florida just eastof Teatro is Caridad, La

( % h near Independencia. 29-26-71; Céspedes No 65A btwn Maceo 29-26-71; CéspedesNo65AbtwnMaceo 9-11am &1-5pmMon-Sat) Havanatur office

( % ( % a 21-74-63; RolandoPardo No8 20-37-81; Maceo No64btwn 20-37-81; Maceo ) Runbyanextremely a Casa delaCiudad Casa ) Two spacious,

( Cigar Factory . ( % % Charming ) , is afasci-

showing 20-81-61; 20-40-01;

two lovely on roomsinabigcolonialhouse 67; Parque VidalNo6;s/dinclbreakfast CUC$22/29; option and the staff are friendly.Therooms option andthestaff the countryonoffer, butatleastit’sacheap of thefriendliestandmostcharming in casas mediocre Clarahassome hotel when Santa There’s no real reason inthisdeeply tostay SantaClaraLibre Hotel HOTELS or sotoshare the two houses. Olga’s, makingitpossibleforgroupsof eight backingonto lar roomsinaconnectinghouse Rodríguez; rCUC$25; Berenguer No11btwnMáximoGómez&Carolina yahoo.es; access toahuge roof terrace. roomhasprivateEach bathroom,fridge and the church, which enjoys bothviewsandlight. center. Ask roomoverlooking forthebright a quietsquare afive-minute walkfromthe Carolina Rodríguez;rCUC$25; EvangelistaYanesyahoo.es; No20btwnMáximoGómez& kindly, multilingual hosts. and guardedparkingare alsooffered bythe able atthiscentrallocation.Awashingservice shared accesstoalarge airyterrace are avail- rooms withprivate bathrooms,fridges and No 4btwnCuba&Colón;rCUC$20-25) courtyard. attractive have private facilitiesandshare accesstoan 7; discuss thenews and sports. further tomake local friendsandhearpeople peanuts atanimpressive marblebar. Look no tions of pork,chicken, uplarge, goodqualitypor- serve Friendly staff peso canteen inCuba,thisis alittlegem. h Europa. and bles andagoodatmosphere, Cubana are La similar, themostpopular,withalfresco ta- north of Parque Vidal.Whilethey’re allpretty the pedestrianstripof Independencia, just There’s abusystretch of bars andcaféson Eating &Drinking the revolution’s final battles. The hotel facade isbullet-pocked fromoneof there are goodviewsfromthe11th-floor bar. are fromdamp, but small and manysuffer h Dino’s Pizza El Castillo García Zaida Barreto Gómez Olga Rivera Mercy Hostal Casa noon-11pm) 9am-10:30pm Mon-Fri, 9:30am-10:30pm Sat&Sun) 9am-10:30pm Mon-Fri, Book yourstayonlineatlonelyplanet.com/hotels (9 de Abril No9btwn Cuba &Villuendas; (9 deAbril Unlike state-run almostevery (Marta Abreu No10;pizzasCUC$3- (Marta a

) ( Olga’s sister hastwosimi- ( % ( %

a 21-17-11; zaidabarreto2006@ 21-69-41; Eduardo Machado 21-69-41; EduardoMachado 29-48-44; zaidabarreto2006@ ( % congrí ) Friendly Olgahas 20-75-48; fax68-63- Two super-clean and salad for andsalad a A )

range of Creole cooking.It’snotcheap, mains CUC$4-10; hour). per and there’s internet accesstoboot(CUC$5 this version remains adecentplaceforpizza, carbon copyof themanyDino’s aroundCuba, lonelyplanet.com clothes andconsignment shops. forgoodsecondhandMaceo andZayas Independencia, between Stroll ‘ElBulevar,’ Shopping east of thecenter viaAv 9 de Abril. Sandino,catch gameatEstadio abaseball are thearch rivalsof Havana’s Industriales; with comedyactsand live music. h &PedroNo 2btwnMaceo Estévez;admissionCUC$2; there’s nowhere inCubaquite else like it. oftheater and othernight every the week, native culture. There’s usually dancingor building, thisistheheartof thecity’salter- intheruins ofgangs of anold toughs. Set from localstarseveryone of dragtoyoung is remarkably straight-friendly andattracts along toCuba’sonlyopenlygayclub,which Sun) Club Mejunje Entertainment overpriced, are delicious. inclusive mealdeals,which, whileslightly ratherthanthevoluminousall- or salads itcanbeifyougoforthesoupsalthough midnight) Julio Jover&Berenguer; setmealCUC$12-15; cialties andmeatymainsare also on offer. spe- pizza here issoprizedbylocals.Seafood it’s often the hardtoget simplybecause atable out of thecenter towardstheCheMemorial), bles inaglass-fronted unit(onthemainroad premises are arathersterile arrangement of ta- La Concha Villa Clara (‘La Villa,’ aka Las Naranjas) Villa,’akaLas Villa Clara(‘La El BarClubBoulevard El SaborLatino ataod ua 3 9 1 7:30pm,7:25am, 12 11:30am 3½ 590 88 8am, 4 Schedule 276 8 Trinidad 5:30pm, Duration(hr) Distance(km) 33 Santiago deCuba (CUC$) fare One-way 3:10am Havana 18 Destination FROM SANTASERVICES CLARANACIONALES BUSSTATION 10pm-2am Tue-Sun) Ifyou’re here come onSaturday night, 12:55am, 1:15pm, 1:45am 6:45pm, This relaxed paladaroffers ahuge ( %

(Marta Abreu No107; (Marta h 21-81-24; cnrCarretera Central&Danilito; CENTRALCUBA••SantaClara 11am-11pm) ( % A fun cocktail loungeA funcocktail 40-65-39; EsquerraNo157btwn ( % While La Concha’s While La 21-62-36; Independencia h 4pm-1am Tue- h noon- & Rafael Tristá; Tristá; & Rafael ‘aen’ (CUP2). ‘Materno’ ismostlyby Local transportation in theboxed text, p168 . thedestinationsshown theory, trainsserve No 323) side of town.The Luis Estévez fromParque Vidalonthenorth 2:35pm,). and approximately onehour,6:40am,9:05am three toRemedios(CUC$1.45, dailybuses just westof thecenter viaMarta Abreu, has For dailydepartures see below . inthemainhall. onyourright Víazul office ment. Tickets forVíazulare soldinthe Matanzas, 500mnorthof theChemonu- toward 2.5km outontheCarretera Central The Getting There&Away outlet onthesouthsideof Parque Vidal. and othergifts.There’s smaller asecond, has CDs,souvenirs andarange of T-shirts Cuba’s reliable musicalandclothingoutlet Cuban handicrafts. No9btwnParque Vidal&Independencia) Norte where you’llget thebestcoffee in town. home. There’s afriendlybar-café attheback as offering coffee andarange of rumstotake excellent humidorandsmokingroom,aswell cigars,tory unsurprisinglysells andboastsan cellent specialistshop opposite thecigarfac- Julio Jover&Berenguer; the train station tothe center,the trainstation catch the tions andChemonument(CUP1).From along Marta Abreu towardthebussta- route(horse cart),withanimportant Gtig Around Getting ARTex deBienesCulturales Fondo Cubano La Veguita The The Nacionales BusStation is across the park from the station. In isacross theparkfromstation. intermunicipal busstation intermunicipal train station

( %

( h 21-43-97; ColónNo16btwnMachado % 9am-5pm Mon-Sat,9am-noonSun) 20-89-52; Calle Maceo No176Abtwn 20-89-52; CalleMaceo h

( ticket office ticket % 9am-6pm Mon-Sat) 20-28-95)

( % is straight up isstraight

(Luis Estévez Norte (Luis EstévezNorte (Carretera Central)

22-25-23)

(Luis Estévez This ex- Sells coche 167 is

CUBA CUBA CUBA 85-34; Marta Abreu No10; 85-34; Marta and aroundParque Vidalcharge CUC$8to day. per (Máximo Gómez No71;admissionCUC$1; Parrandas fireworks and street party. two groupsforits ultimate theLas spectacle, asthe townsplitsinto mines youraffiliation church’s twochapels youlive nearest todeter- usually beable toletyouin.Which of the to visit,butaskaroundandsomeone will be uniqueinCuba. It’snotalwayspossible (with charming to pearlteardrops) issaid altar. Thepregnant Inmaculada Concepción a ratherfadedbeautyfamousfor its gilded Cienfuegos No20onParque Martí; Parroquia deSanJuanBautistaRemedios The townisbuiltaroundthe18th-century Sights &Activities one of Cuba’smostraucous street parties. general chaos asthetinytowndescendsinto mind-blowing fireworks, street dancingand December24for every thetranquilityshatteredto comehere istosee have yourowncar. Formany,thereal reason María Santa cess tothebeaches ifyou atCayo andwillstillenjoyeasyac- welcoming casas find someof theisland’smost beautifuland more emblazonedonthebustourtrail–you’ll megaresorts of the coastandthebusytowns Comeherecolonial houses. toescapethe painteda brightly square fullof traditional a tourists andrelax Cubanlife intoeveryday in Clara,isawonderfulplacetoescapethe Santa Dreamy Remedios, lessthananhoureastof pop 46,500/ REMEDIOS or call María Santa andCUC$45toHavana,to Cayo Remedios, CUC$50/80oneway/roundtrip 168 jintero Taxis infrontof thenationalbusstation Scooters are rented from Visiting the ataod ua 0(lwtan 50 -0 8:24am(slowtrain) 8-10 9:30am 6 daily 590 Schedule 276 Duration(hr) Distance(km) 20(slowtrain) Santiago deCuba Havana 10 (CUC$) fare One-way Destination FROMSANTASERVICES CLARATRAINSTATION midnight(fasttrain), alternatedays, alternate 41(fasttrain) days ETA UA • eeis CENTRAL CUBA••Remedios Cubataxi (tout)-free, around tranquiltownset %

Museo de lasParrandas Remedianas Museo ( 42 % 20-25-80). h Las Parrandas 9am-8pm) h Cubatur Cubatur h 9-11am Mon-Sat) for CUC$18 9am-6pm Mon- ( % , a night of, anight 422-20- (Camilo

Hostal ElPatio CASAS PARTICULARES Sleeping no sadly Cubans allowed). viathe cay isaccessed the endof theMeliá resorts’ accessroad.The stretches are alongsideVillalasBrujasandat unlimited foodanddrink).Theprettiest (CUC$25 toCUC$50perperson including a daypasstooneof thevery smartresorts most brilliant beach. You’llhave topayfor from Remedios,foradayoncentralCuba’s fromthe tassels previous year. is jammedwiththefeathers, headdresses and how thefireworks are made. Anotherroom models of floatsandgraphicdepictionsof December 24.Ithasaphotogallery,scale is thenextbestthingtopartyinghere on Sat, 9am-noonSun) CUC$20-25; &Fe Carrillo No43btwn General delValle; Maceo r .de.ki; isfull terrace, andthehouse of pets. courtyardandagorgeoushas afantastic roof theupstairs roomhasnoair-con.though It rooms, allwithgoodprivate bathrooms,al- home justoff themainsquare. Itoffers three feel asproperlycolonial asthislarge family .cu; AlejandrodelRíoNo72;rCUC$20-25; choice foratmosphere and location. munal terrace andantiquesaplenty–agreat friendly younghosts.Ifoffers ashared com- marble bathrooms,andtwoattentive and charm withtwolarge rooms,bothwithbig on themainsquare, oozes thisexcellentcasa btwn MáximoGómez&Capablanca;rCUC$20-25; available. are bathroom andfridge are includedandmeals of thiscentrallylocated Private colonialhouse. One very roomisonoffer pleasant attheback &ARomero;rCUC$20-25; No 72btwnHermanosGarcía Villa Colonial Villa Cueto La Casona o You canescapeto a La Paloma Book yourstayonlineatlonelyplanet.com/hotels

) ( % Staying hereStaying effectively means , two blocks off Parque, twoblocksoff Martí,

39-52-20; [email protected]; JoséAPeña (

( % %

( 39-53-50; [email protected] % 39-62-74; www.villacolonial pedreplén Cayo SantaMaría Cayo 39-54-90; BalmasedaNo4 a (CUC$2toll; Few places ) a , 65km Right Right ) a

) but it’sacharmer andnotabadalternative smartest setting smartest setting in town. very Cubandishes andenjoysthe standard casas, agorgeouscasas, stuffed ramblinghouse ad style. and hereable. Stay forprivacy,atmosphere English isspoken, anddinners are avail- friendly familynextdooronhandtohelp. plete withantiques,huge ceilinganda high you have yourownfour-room com- house, Book yourstayonlineatlonelyplanet.com/hotel 4:30pm and Havana (CUC$8, 6½hours, (CUC$1.45, onehour)at 5am, 7:10amand Clara toSanta There are three dailyservices trance totownon thefirst major roadleft. afterthe oldtown,ashort distance theen- marksthe beginningofThe busstation Getting There&Away opposite the church. freshments since1866fromalongstonebar, re- head here. serving Thisplacehasbeen For morningcoffee drinks andevening 10) up fornext to nothing. steaks, friedchicken andporkare served busy barandapopularrestaurant where option, thisisalocalfavorite comprisinga h options. other particulares, there although are acoupleof As usualthebestfoodisavailable incasas Eating &Drinking go uptoCUC$80for Parrandas.Las 1 and5are themostspacious.Roomprices balconies overlooking thesquare, of which you have thechoice rooms1to5allhave 1869 andoverlooking themainsquare. If tic rather shabby bathrooms,butit’safantas- phoneand All10roomshaveto acasa. TV, fast CUC$49; Mascotte Hotel HOTELS tilled floors. Meals available. both have large private bathroomsandpretty apool.Thetworooms courtyard containing full of antiques,builtaroundalarge shady r CUC$25-30; González&Maceo; .sld.cu; CienfuegosNo34btwnBrigadier El Louvre El Louvre Las Arcadas Bar Driver’s Hostal LaEstancia The Hotel Mascotte up restaurant serves noon-2:45pm &6-9:45pm) grande dame a a (Máximo GómezNo122;

( ) Remediosonlyhasonehotel,

) ( % This isoneof Cuba’sfinest (José Peña No65;mainsCUP10-15;(José of abuilding,datingfrom 39-51-45; Parque Martí; mainsCUC$5- 39-51-45; Parque Martí; 39-51-45; Parque Martí; rinclbreak- 39-51-45; Parque Martí;

( % 39-55-82; [email protected] An atmosphericpeso h CENTRALCUBA••Trinidad 8am-10pm) N 264) No CUC$6; ( pharmacy. 4pmCUC$25/30.Hasanon-site Consultations before/after Cash advances; ridiculously Cash advances;ridiculously long lines. Camilo Cienfuegos&José Martí; Cadeca Banco Financiero Internacional Banco deCréditoyComercio MONEY Cubanacán ClínicaInternacional Servimed MEDICAL SERVICES Etecsa Las Begonias Internet Cafe ACCESSINTERNET Information of it all. here, andprepare tolove Trinidadinspite there are justasmany foreigners aslocals the toutsandfactthatmostof theyear with Trinidad’soldtown).Sodisregard ter isaUnescoWorldHeritage site, along Collantes andValle delosIngenios (thelat- Ancón andthelushhillsof theTopesde here, plusagreat beach atnearbyPlaya there’s of abevy superb,atmosphericcasas more on thentic small-townCubanexperience. (For that youshould lookelsewhere foryourau- who nowdominate thetown,topoint trippers andtheinevitable overwhelmedhas been bybustours, day- nally attracted backpackers inthemid-’90s Sadlythegemdramatic setting. thatorigi- providing mountains the distant asuitably carriages rattlingdowncobbled streets and painted colonialmansions,horse-drawn unbearably gorgeous withitslarge pastel- Cuba’s worst kept secret, Trinidad isalmost pop 65,000/ TRINIDAD the country,change in Clara.Santa totherest ofon alternate days).Forservices travelers. per hrCUC$6; Camilo Cienfuegos) 7:15pm daily and an extra service at7pm 7:15pm dailyandanextraservice % However, tomissoutwouldbeashameHowever, – 99-62-40; General LinoPérez No103; 99-62-40; General ( h ( % % 8:30am-7:30pm) OnParque Céspedes. jinteros 99-41-29; General Lino Pérez No274; perhr 99-41-29; General 99-62-63; Martí No164btwnLinoPérez & 99-62-63; Martí h % 7:30am-1am) Goodplacetomeetother 41 e p184) see , ( h (Antonio Maceo No473; (Antonio Maceo % ( 8am-3pm Mon-Fri) 8am-3pm Mon-Fri) 99-24-05; José Martí 99-24-05; JoséMartí % jinteros 99-61-07; cnr h 24hr) (touts)

169 CUBA CUBA CUBA No 336, btwn Maceo No 336,btwnMaceo & Codania) from thetopof thetoweraloneisworth the stylish,neoclassical rooms.Theview slave isdisplayedin traderJustoCantero wheremuseum, theill-gotten wealthof the ruined 18th-century Parroquial Romántico, to andtheMuseo theIglesiaup SimónBolívar, between & Bolívar) & go views. good Escambray (1906–65).Climbthe tower for counter-revolutionary bandsintheSierradel The collectionrelates against tothestruggle only partof theoriginalbuildingremaining. is distinguished byitsyellowcampanile,the 59; admissionCUC$1; de laLuchaContraBandidos Asís convent, thephotogenic most interesting rooms. thekitchen andbathroomarehouses, the nishings, china andsuch. As withmostold collects19th-centuryfur-turned-museum 1740and1808.Themansion- built between 5pm Tue-Sat, 9am-1pmSun) ( the admission price. Sat-Thu) 60; SimónBolívarNo423;admissionCUC$2; Municipal Histórico Museo anddoarethings tosee outside the town. so inclined.Mostof themore substantial moderately interesting things todoforthose whole placein–butthere are plentyof coming here is really aboutdrinkingthe In general sites thetownhasnounmissable – want toget afeeling forthe‘real’ Trinidad. Martí. Head tothelatter andbeyondifyou Céspedes, ashortwalkawaydownJosé ist sites, andthefarmore ‘real’ Parque Mayor, hometomanyof thebigger tour- Trinidad hastwomaincenters –thePlaza Sights &Activities Havanatur Cubatur Cubanacán TRAVEL AGENCIES Post office POST 170 Martí & Martí Zerquera) % Near PlazaMayor istheimpressive For abird’s-eye view of Trinidad,walk intheformerSanFranciscode Housed Near tothechurch isthe 99-43-63; Echerri No52;admissionCUC$2; 99-43-63; Echerri ETA UA • rndd CENTRAL CUBA••Trinidad ,

( the town’ssinglemostimpressive % (Antonio Maceo No420btwnColón& (AntonioMaceo Zerquera)

( ( % % 99-63-14; www.cubatur.cu; cnrCalleMaceo 99-61-83; www.havanatur.com; LinoPérez 99-61-42; www.cubanacan.cu;cnrJosé h 9am-5pm Tue-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun) in thePalacio Brunet,

(Casa Cantero;

( % Ermita de Nuestra 99-41-21; Echerri No 99-41-21; Echerri Museo Romántico Museo Museo Nacional Museo h % h 9am-5pm 99-44- 9am-

which at9:30am), starts and guide) park entrancefee, lunching transportation, ElCubano(CUC$18 includ- to theCascada Topes de Collantes. ficult toget here without a car. cascading intocoolswimmingholes.It’sdif- 5pm) an invitingribbonof white beach lapped Central informationoffice Central Cuba’s bestunguided hiking. The 20km northwestof Trinidad,hassomeof rangeSierra delEscambraymountain some at Meyer (see p172 ). it’s anhour’swalkfromthelocaltrainstation 360-degree views.Thetouristtrainstopshere; of towerwithexquisite Trinidad,a44m-high 1750 dle (see below isthe ). Thevalley’smainsight fromthesad- lessly beautiful,especially seen palms, waving caneandrollinghillsare time- (sugar mills)dot Ancón, which alsooffers charters.sailboat 54) can goto Trinidad agencies trips,oryou arrange these bountiful marinelife are Allthe highlights. at 9am,gets rave reviews; blackcoraland & openbarCUC$40/30) seven-hour snorkeling andscubadivingoffshore. The cycling trip. There’s anexcellentreef for by tranquilbluewaters –perfect foraday of Trinidad,PlayaAncón and beyond. delaVigía Cerro it’s a30-minute uphillhike to180m-high delaPopa delaCandelaria Señora fall isalso onoffer (CUC$55 per person). to theGuanajara NationalPark anditswater- CUC$6.50 parkentry fee forthe latter). A tour los Ingenios ElCubano(adda orCascada (per person3/6hrCUC$7/15) los Ingenios excursions, includingthepopularValle de Cubatur andCubanacán( left thesame ) sell Tours Caburní del 2.5km, 2½-hourround-triptrek tothe and guides.Themostpopularhike is the (CUC$2.50), andoffers campsites (CUC$10) , afew hundred meters northof Hotel Freelance guideslead TopesdeCollantes Dozens of crumbling19th-century PlayaAncón sells atopographicalmapof sells thearea Manaca Iznaga Manaca (per personCUC$6.50) Cubanacán Naútica Trinidad NaúticaTrinidad Cubanacán snorkeling sugar traintour , 12kmsouthof Trinidad,is , which delivers broadvistas day hikes day hikes to Blanco,departing Cayo Valle delosIngenios

(admission CUC$1) , therugged 90km-long

tour trips totheValle de horseback riding

(adult/child CUC$29/20) ( % (per adult/childincllunch

, a62mwaterfall (adult/child CUC$10/5) horseback riding 99-02-31; lonelyplanet.com . Fromhere, , 16kmeast . Theroyal ( % h Carpeta Carpeta ingenios tours 99-47- 8am- Salto to ,

huge really oldhouse issomething–lookno btwn Suyama&Independencia;rCUC$15-20) .es; José Martí No 263 btwn Rosario &Colón;sCUC$15-20,d No263btwnRosario .es; JoséMartí offer, each withprivate facilitiesandafridge. yahoo.es; Piro Guinart No 216 btwn Maceo &Izquierdo;r No216btwnMaceo Piro Guinart yahoo.es; further forsomewhere memorabletostay. delaPaz Carmelina CASAS PARTICULARES Sleeping Book yourstayonlineatlonelyplanet.com/hotels a photographer and his wife. is acolonialstunnerrunby rooms. Thehouse There are tworoomsbothwithprivate bath- this charming better. willsoonbe even house a No401 btwnOlvido&Claro;rCUC$25-30; .com; JoséMartí rooms share a bathroom. ings andtiledfloors. Twocommunicating CUC$20-30) leading toa sunny patio. quietroomwithlargecomfortable, bathroom also rents No179(CUC$15toCUC$20 available, andhersonFranciscoPeterssen room andtwogorgeous terraces. Meals are both withprivate bathroom,share asitting good English andhertwoexcellentrooms, Aracelys, aretired Englishteacher, speaksvery Lino Perez No207btwnFrankPaís &Calzada;rCUC$20-25; a garage where cars canbe parked safely. own bathroomdownthecorridor. There’s also familyrentsThe GilLemes oneroom withits CUC$20-25; Some English is spoken. thebathroomisabitmakeshift.vacy although and livingroomwithfridge. forpri- Excellent with adoubleandsinglebed,large terrace 25; Guiteras No229btwnCalzada&País; sCUC$15-20,dCUC$20- ting room sofa. Jesuscourtyard andBaby onthesit- sleeps The otherroomssurroundaleafycolonial air-con andaterrace withwonderfulviews. Go fortheupstairs room,which hasboth 20; No227btwnSuyama&Independencia;rCUC$15- Guinart make thisagreat placeto bed down. ceilings,goodfoodandawarmwelcome High has soleaccesstoanequallylarge terrace. rooms, andtheoneatfrontof thehouse Two vastbedroomsbothhave private bath- Casa Muñoz Casa Gustavo Cañedo Aracelys Reboso Orlando RodríguezRamon Yolanda Familia GilLemes a a ) Being refurbished atthetimeofBeing research, ) ) Yolandahasfourexcellentroomson Offers aprivate upstairs apartment Another huge house with high ceil- Anotherhuge withhigh house a

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( % 99-63-81; [email protected]; Piro99-63-81; [email protected];

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99-36-73; http://casa.trinidadphoto

( ( ( % % % 99-35-97; [email protected]; 99-35-97; [email protected]; 99-66-16; gustavocanedo13@ 99-31-42; carlosgl3142@yahoo 99-32-94; Piro Guinart No239 99-32-94; Piro Guinart

( % 99-21-10; Antonio Wow!This CENTRALCUBA••Trinidad ) , a a

) .cu; Maceo No438btwnColón&Zerquera; rCUC$25-30; .cu; Maceo Plaza Mayor, thispopular butfirmly tourist- mains CUC$5-12; joyed. Trytheshrimp in chili sauce. menuisbest en- when thefishand seafood the tour-bus crowd,butcomeintheevening at lunch timeswhenit’sthepreferred realm of outsideaswellin.Avoidvilla withtables it grandhistoric Colonial isinsideasuitably 402; mainsCUC$4-20; access, aswell snack food. café, which andinternet hasaCubaturoffice anotherbranch of thispopular Begonias, Las or coffee. Acrossthestreet there’s Cafeteria the backpatiowithamilkshake, icecream No 473;burgersCUC$3-4; come insmallboxes) and snacks. pizza, selling stalls, Cienfuegosiscrowded withpeso Camilo The stretch of Martí aroundLinoPérez and Eating fittings. comfortable smart andspacious,withlarge bathroomsand bar.rant andcocktail The40roomsare very to free restau- internet accessandafantastic from agorgeous lobbycentered onafountain moderntouches, tional designandthoroughly town andmanages topulloff bothatradi- designed five-star propertyisintheheartof pampering. Thebeautifulandunobtrusively is wellworththesplurge ifyoufancysome and notdisappoint hotel does Trinidad’s star No262;s/dCUC$125/150; .iberostar.com; Martí ahead. call it’sbestto nonetheless opentoall,although ers of theCubangovernment, theplaceis private bathroom.Favored byfellow travel- rooms,allwithhumble butcomfortable & País; rCUC$25; delaAmistad Casa HOTELS available. Meals andhasaccesstoaprivate rooftained terrace. whichupstairs room,though, isself-con- private bathroomsandfridges. Goforthe was abouttoberedone atlastpass)with whichcasa, offers tworooms(oneof which Another great isthisfriendly placetostay Mesón delRegidor Mesón Colonial Trinidad LasBegonias Cremería Trinidad Iberostar GrandHotel Casa Arandia Casa h a ( %

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( 99-64-73; Antonio Maceo No 99-64-73; AntonioMaceo 7:30am-1am) % Justdownfromthe (takeout mealsthat 99-64-04; Antonio Maceo 99-64-04; AntonioMaceo (

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CUBA CUBA CUBA est placeintown,withapacked after-dinner ofa steep set outdoorsteps andisthebusi- patio. Thecover charge isaddedtothecost from 10pmSaturday,inacrumbling colonial Tuesday toFriday,andaCubanfolklore show an athleticAfro-Cubanshow at10pmfrom 461 btwnSimónBolívar&Zerquera; coverCUC$1) nightly at 10pm. heavy ontheAfro-Cubanbeatwithlive shows 1:30pm-1am Sat) admissionCUC$1; Menéndez; good. surprisingly music –itcanbepotluck,butissometimes place hasachanging schedule of local live old mansionwithasmartcolonialvibe,this mission CUC$1; rear courtyard (admission CUC$2). bars, there are concertsinthe sometimes salsa well asthemainperformanceandseveral Ascrowd forthemainshow at10pmnightly. midnight) delaMúsica Casa Entertainment side dishes and dessert. fromthePlazaMayor.tance meals Set include congrí aroundchicken,Cuban dishesbased porkand menuof upastraightforward good, serving choice paladar(after Paladar SolySon)isalso CUC$8-10; with a killer daiquiri. the superbsideof porkandcleanyourpalate andthefoodislargely excellent–try service the placetoheadforromance. There’s friendly thebackgardenisdefinitelykled throughout sprin- atmospheric 1830smansionwithtables mainsCUC$6-10; & JoséMartí; can sometimes be excellent. groups. There’s live musichere aswell,which meats, butgets crowdedatlunch withtour oriented ameanlineingrilled eatery does 172 Paladar Estela Las RuinasdelTeatro Brunet Palenque delosCongosReales delaTrova Casa Paladar SolySon at lr 8 8 9am&3:30pm 7:30am&5pm 8am 3 6 11½ 88 335 581 Schedule Duration(hr) 25 8 33 Distance(km) Santiago de Cuba (CUC$) fare Santa Clara One-way Havana Destination FROM TRINIDAD’SBUSSTATIONSERVICES ETA UA • rndd CENTRAL CUBA••Trinidad in a pleasant backgardenashortdis- inapleasant Thisenormousplaceisspread over h 7-10pm Mon-Fri) h Offers energetic and salsa (

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and musicalinstrumentsyou’re after, it’sthe Ifit’sCDs for allyourrumandcigarneeds. 406) tracted atthe bus station. e eo fr services. for below See Gustavo Izquierdo,hasaleft-luggage room. Menéndez) the rest of thecountry’sstellar network. are strictlylocalanddonotconnectwith ping, especiallyforitselaborate lacede- This isagoodplacefor(pricey)shop- ing beautiful mountain scenery. The coastal scenery.Thecoastal ing beautifulmountain ClaraandManicaragua,is viaSanta offer- The quickest route toTrinidadfromHavana The BUS Getting There&Away Parroquial. Iglesia delaMúsica Casa can buydirectly fromher home studio. Zerquera &Colón) the items. turtle-shell doavoidsigns, though theblackcoraland There’s adecent Shopping classes. dance of yourdrink.Checkhere fordrummingand ( While there isarisiblysmall,pink TRAIN (CUC$40), For tripstoHavana (CUC$60)orCienfuegos TAXI Bolívar) & at roads are decent.Youcanorganize carhire with littlebeaches andfishing villages. Both route slower,islined fromCienfuegos,though CAR % Cubatur Head to You canbuylocallyproducedartworkat . 99-42-23, 99-33-48) Casa de la Cultura Julio Cueva Díaz JulioCueva delaCultura Casa Yami Martínez bus station . in front of the Casa de la Trova. infrontof theCasa

( % Casa delHabano Casa Cubataxi creates funkysculptures thatyou 99-63-14; www.cubatur.cu; cnrCalleMaceo (Piro Guinart No224) (Piro Guinart , up the stairway besidethe , upthestairway

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Cubatur rents outscooters (perday/week turns toTrinidadfromMeyer at1:30pm, of Trinidad(CUC$10,80minutes). Itre- before terminating inMeyer, 19kmnorth 9:30am andstoppingatIznagaCondado Valle delosIngenios, departingTrinidadat along apretty branch the linethrough There’s onetrainadayineach direction lonelyplanet.com airport that connectsit to Havana. Santiago toHavana. alsohas an Baracoa connect Domesticflights the Caribbean. mainlyfromelsewheretional flights, in Maceo receives asmattering of interna- Santiago deCuba’sAeropuerto Antonio Getting There&Away track. beaten which isagreat placetochill outoff the ontheeasterntown right tipof theisland, the charmingGuantánamo andBaracoa, country’s moststunningdrives –between aswelloneof USNaval the Base, Bay also includestheinfamousGuantánamo inthecountry.Theregion else everything viding relief fromHavana’s dominationof de Cubaisthecenter of itsownworld,pro- citySantiagotural heavyweight andsecond very own unpredictable rhythm. heart –dramatic,steamy andmoving toits way of life prevails. ThisisCuba’sCaribbean make apoint)andmore simpleyetexotic somewhere aroundCiegodeÁvila,asifto move more slowly(themotorwaypeters out ern halfof theislandisknown. Here, things without avisitto‘ElOriente’, astheeast- You can’tclaimtohave Cuba really seen EASTERN CUBA CUC$20/126). around CUC$4to Playa Ancón. side theHavantur costs office. Acoco-taxi and PlayaAncónthatleaves fromout- There’s also aregular Trinidad busbetween side You canrent bicycles(perdayCUC$3)be- Getting Around Trinidad at 2:50pm. at CondadoorIznaga. Itarrives backin ley. Youcanalsohoponthereturn train giving youafew hours toexplore theval- At theendof theisland,of course, cul- Transtur Cubataxi

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( % 99-61-10; cnr Maceo &Zerquera) 99-61-10; cnrMaceo EASTERN CUBA••SantiagodeCuba EASTERN 99-22-14) at the bus station. atthebusstation. at and unsuccessfullyattacked theMoncada Siboney farm20kmsoutheastof Santiago companions stoleawayfromthe Granjita Police Information platform of the Cuban Revolution. Absolve Me’ speech,which becamethe basic here madehisfamous‘HistoryWill Castro revolutionary myth.AthistrialCastro’s nowtalked upasakeyattack partof anembarrassinglybadlyplanned Barracks, complex. inferiority the ‘cradleof therevolution,’ itstillnurses an out, thecitylostprominence;despite being and indigenous giving laborstarted reserves shifted toHavanacapital andSantiago’sgold first (1515–1607).After Cubancapital the Founded in1514,SantiagodeCubawasthe History and you’llfinditsoon enchants you. be felt here. Take yourtimetoenjoy Santiago Haitian, AfricanandHispanicinfluencesto and asaresult there are farmore pronounced neighbors inawayHavana hasdone, never country. ThecitylooksfirmlytoitsCaribbean hillside, it’sunlike almostanywhere inthe else painted oldtownlocated onaprecipitous plethora of beautifulbuildingsandabrightly of alarge its baysurroundedbymountains, ture. onthemouth Withitsbeguilingsetting toHavanaweight inmusic, politics andcul- cityandthemuchcounter- needed second There’s magic intheairof Santiago, Cuba’s pop 495,000/ SANTIAGO DECUBA upthiswayis transportation by truck. easily doableinanormalcar. Theonlylocal Despitethe journeybeyondBaracoa. that,it’s theroadisinbadrepairalthough formuch of loop fromSantiagotoHolguínviaBaracoa, network isfine,anditpossibletodrive a limited, Theroad especiallyfromBaracoa. Bus connectionscenter onSantiago,andare Getting Around up the journey. stopping over tobreak infriendlyCamagüey hours) ordrive themselves, often thedistance mostpeopleeithertakeHowever, thebus(12 Havanaity between andSantiagodeCuba. EMERGENCY On July 26, 1953, Fidel Castro andhisOn July26,1953,FidelCastro Train travel, slow,isapossibil- though ( % 106; cnr Mariano Corona&Sánchez 106; cnrMariano Hechevarría) % 22

173 CUBA CUBA CUBA 3, VistaAlegre; Peña No565; h btwn Calle3&4; de losLibertadores; Cubano the now houses in Cuba. ThisAndalusian-style showpiece (Felix Peña No 602) park, includingthe 1522 Santiago’s mostimpressive buildings ringthis herebronze buststands inhishonor. Someof and declared Cubanindependencein1868;a de Céspedes,themanwhofreed his slaves ful archangel wascompleted in 1922. dral withitscoffered ceiling,dome andgrace- was builthere inthe1520s;present cathe- south sideof thepark.Cuba’s first cathedral delaAsunción de NuestraSeñora square dominated bythefive-nave The heartof Santiagois PARQUE CÉSPEDES & AROUND Sights Havanatur Cubatur TRAVEL AGENCIES Post office POST Cadeca Banco Financiero Internacional Banco deCréditoyComercio MONEY SaturninoLora Hospital Provincial Farmacia LasAméricas Farmacia Cubanacán staff, plus a dentist. consultations CUC$30; ( Servimed Cubanacán Clínica Internacional MEDICAL SERVICES Etecsa ACCESSINTERNET 174 Peña No614)ATM on Heredia. Santiago deCubaandHotel Las Américas. are intheMeliá 6pm Mon-Sat,8:30am-noonSun)Others Santiago deCuba,openfrom8am to 6pm. & Calle8; & Hartmann) & Heredia &FélixPeña); % The square Manuel isnamedforCarlos 24hr) 64-25-89; cnrAv Pujol &Calle8,VistaAlegre; Raúl ATR UA • ataod ua CUBA••SantiagodeCuba EASTERN (per hrCUC$6; (

( % h ( % % (Aguilera No519) ( h % 68-61-76; Aguilera No508; 24hr) Best pharmacy. Another is in the Meliá 24hr) Bestpharmacy.AnotherisintheMeliá 62-31-24, 62-87-37;Av No 364 Garzón 65-26-52; admission CUC$2; h h 8am-4pm Mon-Fri) , the oldest house still standing still standing , theoldesthouse 68-72-80; Calle8No54btwn1& 8am-5pm) h TamayoFleites 8am-8pm) h h Museo de Ambiente Histórico Histórico deAmbiente Museo ( 24hr) % (Av Victoriano Garzón No422; (Av Garzón Victoriano 24hr) Some English-speaking 24hr) SomeEnglish-speaking 8:30am-7:30pm) 64-25-89; cnrAv Pujol Raúl Parque Céspedes Casa deDiegoVelázquez Casa ( % (cnr Tamayo Fleites ( % , situated on the 62-80-06; Felix ( h % 62-20-73; Felix h Heredia 8:30am- 64-56-51; Av 9am-1pm, Catedral Catedral

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Balcón deVelázquez collection of period furnishings. the adjacent Moncada Barracks. on forces onJuly26,1953,duringtheattack thatwasoccupiedbyrevolutionary hospital 84-02; admissionCUC$2; in 1899byfamousrumdistillerandfirst the tattered flagflown in battle. of Maceo’sexhibits highlights life, including ing inwestern Cubain1896.Thismuseum mand, after MáximoGómez,anddiedfight- incom- During the1895warhewassecond ence wargeneral wasbornonJune14,1845. h Maceo is theimportant paintings. Cuban aswellEuropeanand pendence struggles, exhibits relating tothe19th-centuryinde- andfeaturesoldest functioningmuseums y Moreau (1844–1922),thisisoneof Cuba’s mayor of SantiagodeCuba,EmilioBacardí EmilioBacardíMoreau Municipal Museo fabulous neoclassicalbuildinghousingthe leadsuptothequite delCarnaval, the Museo factory open for visits. admission CUC$5; César Escalante Masóhill onBartolomé isthe lovely harborviews.Three longblocksdown- Tue-Sun) admission with/withoutcameraCUC$1/free; 2-5pm Mon-Thu 9am-9pmSun) &Sat,2-5pmFri, attack tookplace. Theouterattack wallshere are still Portuondo nearMoncada), where themain be visited gate through No3(onGeneral h put onholdforanother 3½ years. was things wentawryandthearmedstruggle spark ageneral Cuba,but uprisingthroughout would revolutionaries hadhopedtheassault garrison.The military second-most-important July 26,1953.Atthetime,thiswas Cuba’s by Fidel troopson attacked Batista’s Castro is where more than100revolutionaries led &AvPortuondo delosLibertadores) The BARRACKS) CUARTEL MONCADA(MONCADA Two blocksdownhillfromtheparkis The blocksnorthwestofEight Parque Céspedes thealleyrunningalongside Pio Rosado, A major 9:30am-5:30pm Mon-Sat, 9:30am-12:30pmSun) 9am-4:30pm Mon-Sat) Parque Histórico AbelSantamaría Parque Histórico

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where the independ- 9am-4:15pm) (Moncada Barracks) (Moncada Barracks) 62-01-57; admissionCUC$2; isthehometo , aworking cigar lonelyplanet.com Fábrica deTabacosFábrica . Founded h ,

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9am-7pm ( (General (General % can 62- Barnada & General Serafín Sánchez;rCUC$20; Serafín Barnada &General pendent roomwithadoubleandsingle bed, CEMENTERIO SANTA IFIGENIA trates the 1953 assault. revolution. Ascalemodelof Moncadaillus- tory of Cuba,withheavy emphasisonthe bullet-pocked. outlinesthehis- Themuseum Book yourstayonlineatlonelyplanet.com/hotels bathrooms. both have basic kitchens andprivate blue terrace forwhich named– thecasa’s Marte. Thebestof the lotare upstairs onthe sprawling colonial pilejustoff thePlazade are three different roomsonoffer atthis sister’s downstairs. house and patio. There’s anextra roominthehost’s complete withkitchen, diningarea, bathroom a &MáximoGómez;rCUC$15-20; Portuondo Altos btwnGeneral Gamez yRamona Andres Casco Histórico CASAS PARTICULARES Sleeping skills. CUC$15, dependingonyournegotiating CUC$10and 30-minute waitcostsbetween extraordinary. are ofentrance totheBay Santiagoandtheviews 1633and1693,ElMorroguardsthe tween of townviaCarretera delMorro. Builtbe- promontory,10kmsouthwest on a60m-high photos CUC$1; de SanPedro delMorro the complexintheCaribbean, military 17th-centurySpanish and thebestpreserved to Santiago. AUnescoWorldHeritage site This dazzlingexcursion isamustonanytrip CASTILLO DESANPEDRODELMORRO independence. Cuban Manuel deCéspedes(1819–74),thefatherof andCarlos ontheMoncadaBarracks, tack here are whodiedduringthe1953at- those changing of half-hour. theguardevery Buried flanked andthere’s bythemuses adramatic (1853–95). TheMartí Mausoleum (1951)is including Cuba’snationalhero,JoséMartí history are foundamongthe8000tombshere, history.Manythrough of thegiantsof Cuban 5pm) ( A visittothe1868 % La Terraza Azul hereA taxi fromParque Céspedeswitha ) Thisfriendlycoupleoffer onevery inde- , 2kmnorthof thecitycenter, isastroll 63-27-23; Av Crombet;admissionCUC$1; h 8am-8pm)

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vate bathrooms,oneof which hasatuband street. Both roomshave independent onaquietsidein asmallmodern house Calles 3&5;r/aptCUC$20/25; available withthe neighbor downstairs. thereterrace inamodernhouse; are alsorooms Calle 1&3;rCUC$20; isoldandatmospheric. house access toasmallpatio. Bothhave fridges. The CUC$20; Vives Segares Marcía Vista Alegre a beautiful garden. has aprivate bathroom,afridge andaccessto one roomavailable, butanotherisplanned.It and boastsalovely dog.There’s currently only pheric colonialhomeisdecked outinantiques CUC$25; Vallente; r .cu; HechavarríaNo472btwnPíoRosado&Porfirio a shortwalkfrom Parque Céspedes. bathroom. It’sinacharming neighborhood single initaswellafridge andaprivate pretty hasoneroomwithadoubleand casa &MáximoGómez;rCUC$20-30; Portuondo General with roof terrace andis the best. bathroom. Theupstairs roomcomescomplete attractive rooms,bothwithfridge andprivate CUC$20-25; Rodríguez&SanAgustín; r José ASacoNo516btwnMayía with private facilities. with twofairlybasicbutspotlessrooms,both colonialhome location inanantique-stuffed Vallente; rCUC$20-25; Rosado &Porfirio too, andtheyounghostfamily is charming. as it’sbyfarthebest.Thefoodhere isexcellent upstairs roomontheroof terrace inadvance, and afullystocked fridge. Ifyoucan,bookthe rooms available, bothwithprivate bathrooms r CUC$20-25; hotmail.com; PíoRosadoNo412btwnSagarra&Hechavarría; more expensive. Theroof terrace is superb. but theapartmenthasitsownkitchen sois Velazquez. Bothroomshave private facilities thatfacestheBalconblue-painted house a No172btwnCorona&PadreMasó Pico; rCUC$20,aptCUC$25; Rosa Coutín Nena AcostaAlas Colonial Casa o Pérez Ana DeliaVillalón Angela Casillo Ylia DeasDíaz Mundo Casa ) There are sublime views fromthisold a a a ) ) This highly recommended Thishighly atmos- El Mirador Tworooms,bothwithlarge pri- a Thisbusyfamilyhomeoffers two )

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Tivolí (1.5km) Joaquín Clínica InternacionalCubanacán Casa deDiegoVelázquez...... Balcón deVelázquez...... Post Office...... Police Station...... Immigration Office...... Lora...... Hospital ProvincialSaturnino Havanatur...... Farmacia LasAméricas...... Farmacia Cubanacán...... (see36) Farmacia Cubanacán...... (see4) Etecsa...... Etecsa...... Cubatur...... Servimed...... Cadeca...... Banco FinancieroInternacional.... Banco deCréditoyComercio...... SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION 19 )

José A Saco A José This modern and breezy house This modernand breezy house

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See Enlargement Desiderio Mesnier Desiderio 21

15 14 13 12 11 10 Rafael P Salcedo P Rafael 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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General Banderas Av René Ramos

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177 Our CUBA CUBA CUBA other paladarintown,asit’slocated onthe feels farmore like aprivate venture thanthe Marcané No 310, Reparto SantaBarbara;mainsCUC$3-8; No310,Reparto Marcané No 159;mainsCUC$6-21; is especially good. placesinCuba, andthefresh ‘Italian’ seafood a lotmore inventive andinteresting thanmost Santiago’s mostboutique hotel. Themenuis informal style,tucked awayinoneroomof 10:30pm) No403;mainsCUC$7-9; Masó available. wines offriendly andthere’s selection apassable arevate roomtoescapethebusparties.Staff Ask onthe terrace foratable or bookapri- vieja medallion, andenjoythetranslationof enchilada orthecrustacean try theseafood intown.Thefoodisdecenttoo– ous setting Alegre mansionisabout themostglamor- disappoint. don’t andfreshpizza, antipasti,pasta fishdishes of Santiago’sposhesthotel, butitsquality is located withintheunbecomingcarapace restaurantand surprisinglydecentItalian Calle M;mainsCUC$6-12; many different typesof fresh fish. kebabs’; variousmeatsonaskewer) orthe brochetas extravagantes views acrossthecity.Trylarge of selection roof of afar-flung familyhomewithgreat h is your best bet. dares, butingeneral particular eatinginacasa achievement. Ask aroundforanynewpala- is probably theworst inCuba–nomeager Santiago’s maindrawbackisitsfood,which Eating restaurant and bar. andithasagoodpool, business standard, tractive exterior theroomsare of international architectural blending,butdespite itsunat- winanyawardsforunobtrusivewill never CUC$145-165; cuba.com; Av &CalleM;rCUC$115,ste delasAméricas on its past. mediocrerooms, it’sadeeply placetrading place tobeddown.Withdarkandoften dirty Man inHavana, 178 Paladar SalónTropical SantiagodeCuba Meliá Restaurante SanBasilio Restaurante Zunzun Restaurante La Fontana noon-midnight) as ‘old rope’ (it’s actually shredded beef). as‘oldrope’(it’sactuallyshredded beef). ATR UA • ataod ua CUBA••SantiagodeCuba EASTERN This charming placeoozes Italian ais

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noon-11pm) noon-10pm) % (literally ‘extravagant ( h ( % % 64-15-28; Av Manduley 68-70-70; www.solmelia midday-2:30pm &7- 64-11-61; Fernández 65-17-02; Bartolomé 65-17-02; Bartolomé Thisbreezy ThisVista ropa it’s sobadyoushould bewarned.Potentially h CUC$2; pulsory entryfee nowmeansthattheonly GrandahasgreatCasa viewsbutacom- CUC$2; rum. of numerousdifferentsample stylesandtypes side of delRonisagreat theMuseo placeto Duany; a smoky atmosphere. localsandsharemeet strongpesocoffee in 11pm) LaIsabelica Cafe Drinking and rude. Trytoget on atable the balcony. canbesloppy fine, butunexciting,whileservice Histórico.building intheCasco Thefoodis tentially attractive spaceupstairs inacolonial privateestablished restaurant, occupyingapo- CUC$8-10; Cubanmainson the standard the menu. sometimes barbecueshere tooinadditionto buttheremenu willholdnosurprises, are The two floors andhasvery friendlyservice. over colonialhouse inafantastic is housed over Taberna almostentirely totourists,La bunch on Plaza deDolores, asquare given mains CUC$7-10; you canbe overwhelmed by tour groups. it’sexcellent,while othersplace –some nights novation. it’sanunpredictable Sadlythough, to hottest spot,thelarge delaTrova Casa is home delaTrova Casa Entertainment Cuba. de it’s onthe15thfloorof theMeliá Santiago phere. There are great views from uphere – here inarefined andbusinesslike atmos- 2am) and bad cocktails. loudmusic striplighting, venues: rudeservice, wrongwithCubantourist sums upeverything fabulous, thisgorgeous palace oldBacardí includes amojito or soft drink. yourdrinks.Entry Cubans here willbeserving nuevatrova Terrace Bar Paladar LasGallegas Taberna delRon Bar ElMirador Santiago 1900 noon-midnight) La Taberna deDolores You get top-notch cocktails served up You get served top-notch cocktails Thislittlecharmer isagreat placeto h h h h 11am-3pm &8:30-11pmTue-Sun) 10am-10pm) 10am-1am) Book yourstayonlineatlonelyplanet.com/hotels 1-10:45pm)

( (Heredia No201;admissionnonguests % andisstillabig center of in-

( We’re only includingthisas (Av &CalleM; delasAméricas (Aguilera & Porfirio Valiente; (Aguilera &Porfirio % noon-11:45pm) (Pío Rosado btwn Bartolomé Masó & Masó (Pío RosadobtwnBartolomé Thissmallhideawayinone 65-26-89; Heredia No208;admission The rooftop of theHotel 62-35-07; Bartolomé Masó No354; Masó 62-35-07; Bartolomé ThisisSantiago’sbest-

(Bartolomé Masó No 305; mains No305;mains Masó (Bartolomé ( %

62-39-13; PlazaDolores; Thebestof abad Santiago’s h h 9pm- 7am- to search thisplaceout,butifyoudoso to search north of Américas;catch Hotel agame Las on thenortheastern sideof townabout 1km Carbo No5;admissionCUC$2; Saco &Aguilera; admissionCUC$5; Valiente) performances of from everything drinks inthemainbar,whilethere are live serve Friendlystaff won’t bedisappointed. lonelyplanet.com Souvenir hunter heaven: ahuge range of a smallcaféouttheback as well. lection of postcardsare available here. There’s music, books,novelty giftsandasuperiorse- sells. he and Eddyisamineof information onwhat ing collectionincludessomevery rare gems The fascinat- bookshop shouldn’tbemissed. h La Escalera Shopping 1:30pm on Sunday. Wednesday Thursday andSaturday,at at7:30pmTuesday, ship in2007.Gamesstart since Santiagowonthenationalchampion- fans–they’retious baseball more even so with someof thecountry’smostrambunc- 40; Av admissionCUP1) de lasAméricas; disco.by taped Itgets rowdy after midnight. placefeaturessemi-swanky followed live salsa, tional calibermusicians.Fridayistradi- fantastic intimate butgreat funvenue attractssome in theedgy(andhilly!)Tivolí district,this nity toescapethetouristcrowds.Located h Cuba). of pico is gaeton inthebreezy backgarden.Tuesday trova Patio LosDosAbuelos Cuba Artesanía Cuba ARTex Estadio deBéisbolGuillermónMoncada delasTradiciones Casa Casa delaMúsica Casa aaa 1 6 1 9am,3:15pm,6pm&10pm 9am,3:15pm,6pm&10pm 16 11½ 861 590 7:30pm 11½ 7:45am 581 5 234 51 33 Schedule 33 Trinidad Duration(hr) Santa Clara Distance(km) Havana (CUC$) fare One-way Baracoa 15 Destination FROM SANTIAGODECUBA’SNATIONALSERVICES BUSSTATION 9am-9pm) from 8:30pm) (musictypicalof theOriente region trova The standard rangeThe standard of handicrafts, night, whileSundayis night, (Herredia No 304 btwn Pío Rosado & Porfirio (Herredia No304btwnPíoRosado&Porfirio (Heredia No 265 btwn Pío Rosado & Hartmann; (Heredia No265btwnPíoRosado&Hartmann; EddyTamayo’s wonderfulantique night. Thisplaceisagoodopportu- EASTERN CUBA••SantiagodeCuba EASTERN

(Felix Peña No673; ( %

( (Rabí No154;admissionCUC$1; (Rabí 65-22-27; CoronabtwnJoséA

h % h 10am-2am) 62-33-02; FranciscoPérez 10pm-2:30am) The stadium’s The stadium’s h oriental ti- Youhave son ( 9am-9pm) %

toreg- 64-26- This 14) Carretera del Morro. 11pm Sat) 8:15am-6:30pmTue4pm Mon,Wed&Fri, &Thu, 8:15am- ( No 701; ( gregate infrontof theMeliá Santiago deCuba totheairportcosts CUC$5.TaxisA taxi con- TO/FROM THEAIRPORT Getting Around arrive by 8am. ‘última hora tickets,of-departure youhave togothe bajos; Único deReservaciones 590km). hours, Clara (regular/especial CUC$20/42,10 alternate days).BothtrainsalsostopinSanta (CUC$72,16hours, 861km,5:35pm service longeris even thanthestillslow 17 hours, 861km,9:50pmalternate days) Havana. The‘ northwest of thecenter, hasdailytrainsto new uglybutrelativelySantiago’s deeply efficient below. see Céspedes. For &Calle9) Libertadores Terminal Nacional BUS deAviaciónCubana Aerocaribbean Airport International Antonio Maceo AIR Getting There&Away are on offer here. quality handicraftsandotherknick-knacks TRAIN % % is7kmsouthof SantiagodeCuba,off the You canbuytickets more centrallyat Some airlineoffices: information,see For flight p188 . 68-72-55; www.aero-caribbean.com; General Lacret General 68-72-55; www.aero-caribbean.com; 65-15-77/78/79; Saco & General Lacret; 65-15-77/78/79; Saco&General h train station h 7am-7pm Mon-Fri, 7-11amSat&Sun) 7am-7pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon & 1-4:30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon &1-4:30pmMon-Fri, 9am-noon Sat) ’ window outside the train station; ’ windowoutsidethetrainstation; Airport regular

is3kmnortheastof Parque Víazul ( (National BusStation;cnrAv delos

% Airport ( %

62-28-36; Av Menéndez) Jesús ( %

69-40-00); ( ’ service (CUC$30, ’ service ( % % 65-21-43; Aguilera No565 69-12-14); 62-84-84) Town Center (SCU;

h services services . Forday- Town Center ‘especial’ % 8:15am- 69-86- Centro Centro 179

CUBA CUBA CUBA ( ( this isn’t. Yet thetraveler presence is minimal plenty of pretty colonial buildings,Trinidad there’s lotstorecommend including Baracoa, the rumors aren’t strictlytrue –andwhile and unspoiled,are heading outthisway.Sadly rumors of anewTrinidadasyetuntouched ing theattention of travelers who,hearing backwater isadelightful fastattract- Baracoa pop 82,000/ BARACOA Parque delos Estudiantes rotary. (the city’shistoriccenter), trucksstopatthe Histórico AméricastotheCasco Hotel Las stop facingtheEtecsa building.Fromthe Alegre alsotravel alongAguilera; there’s a Céspedes oronAguilera. TrucksforVista on alongCoronaoneblockwestof Parque Provincial (neartheTerminal Nacional); hop andtheHospital to theMoncadaBarracks Camiones TRUCK respectively. Menéndez, along Av JuanGualberto GómezandAv Jesús ‘Alameda’ Terminal (they’llshout Nacionalbusstation to Parque the cartsbetween Céspedes.Horse which Aguilera up (totheleft)climbssteeply tower atthenorthendof AlamedaPark, from a southbound horse cart(CUP1)totheclock To get catch intotownfromthetrainstation, HORSE CART aCar Vía Rent Rex Havanautos Cubacar available. something tion itmayjustbedowntoluckifthere’s the country.Even ifyouhave areserva- worse thanintherestSantiago –even of There are dire shortages of hire cars in CAR &SCOOTER airport. the airport, while213isfaster comingfrom to theairport;212isfaster forgoingtothe Cubataxi and aroundParque Céspedes.Elsewhere call 180 scooters (rent forCUC$27 per day). ( % % % Buses 212and213(40centavos) travelBuses Airport 22-68-72-90) 68-71-77) 68-71-60; ATR UA • aao CUBA••Baracoa EASTERN Airport

( % ( % (trucks)runfromthecitycenter ) and the train station (CUP1)run ) andthetrainstation

Airport h 65-10-38/39) % ( 68-64-44) Airport % 8am-10pm) Hotel Las Américas has 8am-10pm) HotelLasAméricas 121 ( 69-41-95); % ( % 68-61-61); . 68-70-18); Meliá SantiagodeCuba Hotel LasAméricas Hotel LasAméricas

Arqueológico Cueva delParaíso Cueva Arqueológico Martí No181)ToursinEnglish,ItalianandGerman. Martí peninsula and now houses adecentrestau-peninsula andnowhouses cance –Fuerte isattheendof delaPunta the are reminders of strategic signifi- Baracoa’s ernment toSantiago de Cuba. 1515, whenVelázquez moved of gov- theseat until asthecapital tlement inCuba. Itserved Velázquez, wasthefirst Baracoa Spanishset- Founded inDecember1511byDiego Sights &Activities Farmacia Municipal Principal Etecsa Cubatur Baracoa Clínica Internacional advances andchangestraveler’s checks. Cadeca Banco deCréditoyComercio Information in El Oriente. if you’dlike tospendsometimeburieddeep isdefinitely somewhereBaracoa toheadfor beaches andhikinginthevicinity, fantastic a charming alaid-back setting, vibeandsome compared toCuba’sotherbigdraws,andwith 152; admission bydonation; delaAsunción de Nuestra Señora ing squatpileof therestoration-due Parque isdominated bythe collaps- Central, tours cave Guamá. Theexpertdocentshere alsolead of whatmayprove tobeindigenous rebel for smokinghallucinogens, andthe remains arestalactites spatulasforvomiting,pipes left onthedirttrackattop.Among the up thesteps fromCoronelesGalanoandturn h huge cannons out back. impressive colonialweapons.Checkoutthe pottery, copiesof Columbus’diaryandsome CUC$1; Municipal of JoséMartí amildlydiverting houses rant, whiletheFuerte Matachín atthefarend h best pharmacy in town. oncallandthe doctors new clinichasEnglish-speaking &Sánchez; 237btwnReyes Martí Internet accessperhrCUC$6; Maceo No99; Maceo The charming triangulartownsquare, A more isthe engaging museum Two fortresses, oneateitherendof town, 8am-5pm) 24hr) (cnr Antonio Maceo & Rafael Trejo, Parque &Rafael Central; (cnrAntonioMaceo h ( % ( %

. 8am-6pm) ( % 64-53-46; José Martí No241)Givescash 64-53-46; JoséMartí h . It’sasteep walkfromtown;head 64-53-06; [email protected];Calle 64-21-22; cnr Martí & Malecón; admission &Malecón; 64-21-22; cnrMartí 8am-3pm Mon-Fri, 8-11am 8am-3pm Mon-Fri, Sat) containing pre-Hispanic containing h h Mass 6pmdailyplus 9amSun) Mass h ( 8:30am-7:30pm) (Antonio Maceo No132; (AntonioMaceo ( % % 24hr) Thisexcellent lonelyplanet.com 64-27-71; Antonio

(Antonio Maceo No (Antonio Maceo (admission CUC$2; 64-10-38; Calle Catedral Catedral Museo Museo Museo , (CUC$2) beauty 22km northwestof Baracoa. Grab the Spanishin1512forleadinganti-Spanish simn hole. swimming a copy).Ifthechurch knockonthe isclosed, America(theoneinSantoDomingois Latin original Spaniardssettlers erected throughout maining crossoutof sometwodozenthatthe Parra;La expertsagree thatthisisthelastre- which theCruzde dates from1883andhouses Book yourstayonlineatlonelyplanet.com/hotels than where there’s a 4km along,youcometoBocade Yumurí, PlayaBariguá thepalm-studded valleyto road tripthrough women carryburdensontheirheads, take a morning rainbowsarch over and thesea giant snailsand tree lizards. rare frogs,butterflies,should see endangered hour walkjusttothewaterfall. Onthewayyou costs CUC$8perperson forthe2.5km,one- Río Duabaanda7mwaterfall provide relief. It currents but thecrystal and goodshoes, of the 18; perpersonCUC$13) on. The10km,four- tofive-hour signposted spur. Thetrailheadis4kmfurther towards Moafor6kmandthenturnleftatthe a guide. take theroad Toclimbthemountain hike with an enjoyableandexcitinghalf-day landscape aroundtownandcanbeclimbedon the a 30-minute hike intoalush canyonandto willleadyouon CUC$3 toCUC$5),Raudeli Delgado of Raudeli will cometotheblueandyellow at theforkandafter about45minutes you sion CUC$2) after 15minutes youreach Río Miel.After thebridge, turnleftatthefork; for about20minutes toabridge crossingthe andalongthebeach town, pastthestadium out in his name. tobecarried deeds god thatallowedsuch evil answered thathewanted nothingtodowitha asked. ‘Yes’ camethereply, towhich Hatuey heaven. ‘Are there peoplelike youthere?’ he stake, apriestasked himifhe’dlike togo guerillas. Famously, before hisdeathatthe chief Maceolast dooronCalle to gain access. You won’tfinda prettier beach up here For ataste of hiddenCuba,where early Stunning 569m Facing the cathedralisabustof Taíno For apleasingdaytrip, hike southeastof Cueva delAguas Cueva Hatuey Playa Maguana upthe jungle-fringed river. , anidyllicpicnicspot.Head right , whowasburnedatthestake by , 17km from Baracoa. Afurther , 17kmfromBaracoa. black sandbeach . Foradonation(perperson is hot;bringplentyof water , acave withafreshwater El Yunque , anidyllic,white-sand Playa Blanca dominates the and EASTERN CUBA••Baracoa EASTERN hike homestead homestead ( boat trips %

(admis-

64-27-

the frontbalcony.Bothroomshave bath- withgoodviewsoverhouse thebayfrom No 27btwnCastilloDuany&Peraljo; rCUC$15-20; of thethree owned properties around Baracoa hillside.worth thetripup thesteep Thebest view alonefrom this formerSpanish fortis .com; LomadelParaíso; s/dCUC$42/58; ElCastillo Hotel HOTELS terrace. eponymous share accesstoakitchen, diningroomandthe two roomsbothhave private bathrooms and vacy andisidealforagroupof friends.The Terrazawell-run place,La somepri- affords López;rCUC$20-25; &Rubert García Marinarents La on atCasa García. Calixto Theowners’ sonalso foodserved. Excellent roomwithprivatecomfortable bathroom. grand frontporch forpeople-watching. One Pretty witha blueandwhite woodenhouse hosts. friendly rooms andfridges andare presided over by No55;rCUC$15-20; García Calixto but cool and airy. the smallgardencourtyard.Roomsare simple private bathroomsoutthebackoverlooking ing paladaralsohastwogoodroomswith &Céspedes;rCUC$15-20; btwn CiroFrias roof terrace withfantastic bay views. All roomshave private facilitiesandshare a above, looked after bythehostess’ daughter. lonial home,withonefurtherroomintheflat rooms inanatmosphericandwelcomingco- 80 btwn24deFebrero &Coliseo;rCUC$15-20; and share access to a kitchen. streets. Bothroomshave private bathrooms balconyovera fantastic oneof main Baracoa’s offers twogoodroomsforrent, withaccessto inawonderfulcolonialhouse, housed casa, Febrero rCUC$15-20; & 10deOctubre; o CASAS PARTICULARES Sleeping Maguana is available. while. Checkifoneof thefourroomsatVilla herehow totweakyouritinerarystay fora fromthesnackbarandtrytofigurebeer out yourself someshade underapalmandcold Casa Sofi Casa BellaVista Casa Tropical Casa deHuespedColonial Casa La Terraza El Mirador El Mirador

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CUBA CUBA CUBA flies and grumpy service don’t seem todeter don’tseem flies andgrumpyservice Parque isunmissable (infact you Central line insoups and chicken dishes. grilled fish a mean andshrimp, butalsodoes insideandout.Themenuisheavy in seating particular isagreat place forameal,with 7; front. in The poorer kidshangoutonthesquare for live music,flowingdrinks andfastfood. local teen and20scrowdwho pack itout of thetime).Comehere tocatch upwiththe blocksawaymost can hearitfromseveral CUC$1-3; Michelin-starred, but it’s fine. thisplaceasacanteen. Foodisnot who use make friendsquicklywithgregarious locals have asmattering of Spanish, youmaywell spicuous asatouristcominginhere but,ifyou ther forthelocalscene. Youmayfeel con- h choice. Don’t miss it. factory) are delicioustreats theseriously of chocolate icecream (fromthelocalchocolate locals fromthisplace,where hotchocolate and CUC$1; Baracoa’s famous factory. hot chocolate, madewithchocolate from incones)and nut mixed withsugarserved the street snack hastwolocalspecialtiesworthatry– Baracoa Eating &Drinking square. main walk-out balconyoverlooking thetown’s 10 fortheirdirect accesstoahuge, shared here and youcan’tbeatrooms1,8,9and The combinationof oldandmodernworks colonial buildingthatwasrefitted in2003. inawonderful ingly goodmainhotel, housed There’s lotstorecommend surpris- Baracoa’s No68;rinclbreakfast CUC$49; habanera.com; Maceo steps onFrankPaís or García. Calixto way. It’sa10-minute walkfromtownupthe are bestenjoyedfromthelarge poolarea any- views fromtheroomsthemselves, butthese bathroom. Sadlynotmuch ismadeof the phone,safe and complete withfridge, TV, has34roomsfullofCastillo character and by state-run tourismcompanyGaviota, El 182 h Hostal LaHabanera Casa Tropical Casa 1511 delChocolate Casa Cafetería Piropo Cafetería 7:30-9:30am, noon-2pm&6-9:40pm) 11am-11pm) ATR UA • aao CUBA••Baracoa EASTERN h h ( % 7am-11pm) 24hr) 64-15-11; Martí No167;mainsCUC$1-3; 64-15-11; Martí ( This friendly paladar and casa Thisfriendlypaladar andcasa % ThisPalmares venture on

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) the outside terrace. on but decentCubancooking.Bookatable fancy tablecloths andamenuof unexciting ning), thisisaformalstate-run concernwith couldsoeasilybestun- plastic! –thesetting are(what apitytheoutsidetables cheap and within thewallsof oneof thetownfortresses Martí No181 locals. It’s rowdy and can be fun, but proceed locals. It’srowdyandcanbefun,butproceed thisisaprettyHowever, barfavored rough by ting withsuperbviewsover thetownandsea. hasagreatGalano, ElRanchón hilltopset- stairssteep atthewestern endof Coroneles place.all dayandisapopularmeeting It’salsoopenforcoffee anddrinks Central. atthisoldfavorite night every onParque 9pm-midnight) CUC$1; 149A; admissioninevenings Rodríguez Victorino delaTrova Casa Entertainment Try thefresh coconut shrimp. food isgenerally very goodforruralCuba. are friendlyandthe English-speaking staff be resting onitslaurels onourlastvisit.The to ifitdidratherseem dar isawinner,even andgoodfood,thispala- ing colonialsetting 123; mainsCUC$9-12; mains CUC$6-9; Parque Nacional Alejandrode Humboldt García) Calixto ticket ahead of time. your returntime of writing –soreserve bus inandoutavailable to foreigners atthe 234km), leaving at2:15pm.Thisis theonly to SantiagodeCuba(CUC$15,five hours, &JoséMartí) Mártires Thursdayevery and Sunday. and Baracoa Sat) schedule without anoutbound reservation. fully booked, soavoid cominghere onatight outof arePlanes andbuses Baracoa sometimes Getting There&Away southeast fromFuerte Matachín. Fuentes Borges fromOctober toApril.It’s caution. with The The deAviaciónCubana El Ranchón LaColonial Bar Restaurante LaPunta Restaurante Baseball gamesare ManuelBaseball heldatEstadio flies inbothdirections Havana between National BusStation Intermunicipal Bus Station Intermunicipal

% hasdaily truckstoMoa, passing Lively live Book yourstayonlineatlonelyplanet.com/hotels h

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h % trova Airport Atmospherically set Atmosphericallyset 8am-noon &1-3pmMon- 64-14-80; Fuerte delaPunta; h (

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are played (Galano &(Galano Up 146

Calle 55) the airportanda There isa Getting Around 28km), withdepartures at8am and 3pm. from 5am,andYumurí(CUP1,onehour, (CUP5, 1½hours, 78km),withdepartures Book yourstayonlineatlonelyplanet.com/hotels though thisofthough course varies tremendously. ofbetter standard accommodations, al- lier thanhotels, andingeneral theyoffer a particulares are cheaper, cleaner andfriend- to their house independent travelers. Casas Cubans torent outoneortworoomsin vate homes,a’90sinnovation thatallowed country are particulares, incasas orpri- By farthebestaccommodations inthe dueto being state-run. mostly substandard Cuba hasahuge range of accommodations, DIRECTORY Moa-bound truck. orgetin Baracoa here independentlyonthe beasts. elusive to February these isthebesttimetosee here);friendly motordeveloped December deTacoBahía boat tour(withamanatee- fall, ElRecrea, a3kmbaysidestrollandthe deIberialoop,witha7mwater-7km Balcón hikes currently offered are thechallenging perpersonCUC$5-10; (hikes of while which youcansee hiking here. est frogandtheendangered both manatee, for fauna,it’sthehometoworld’ssmall- mostdiverse As planthabitat. Caribbean’s plant speciesand145ferns, makingitthe land includespristineforest, 1000flowering The60,000hectares ofefforts. preserved asaparadigmforCuba’sprotection serve perched above deTaco theBahía should west of this beautiful Baracoa, A UnescoWorldHeritage site 40kmnorth- HUMBOLDT DE ALEJANDRO NACIONAL PARQUE toBocadeYumurí taxi is CUC$5. whereHotel ElCastillo theyare stored. A theymustbepickedthough upfromthe hours,for CUC$14/18/24perfour/eight/24 Scooters canberented fromVíaRentaCar ACCOMMODATIONS insidetheadjacentHotel PortoSanto. Hikes are arranged atthe You canarrange Cubatur atourthrough Cubacar Cubacar Vía Rent aCar Vía Rent ( % h 64-53-43/4) 9am-6pm). visitors center national park DIRECTORY ••Accommodations DIRECTORY office at

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well and trulyoutamong theinternational in oneof Cuba’sprettiest Wordis settings. 5.14s) of withseveral (at alllevels difficulty, The Viñalesvalley ( p161 ) hasover 300 routes Rock Climbing around Viñales ( p161 ). de Collantes, p170 ), orthevarious hikes hikes. trail(Topes TrytheSaltodelCaburní distance from Baracoa. Humboldt ( left ), thelatter twobothashort and exploringParque NacionalAlejandrode summiting flat-toppedElYunque( p181 ) ( p163 ) onthePenínsula deGuanahacabibes, Top hikes lasPerlas includetheCuevas stroll Hiking de de GuanahacabibesatCabo San Antonio. with some30pristinesites offthePenínsula brand newarea hasrecently openedup been the IsladelaJuventud (see p160 ), while a Franceson diving inthecountryisatPunta this bookisMaría laGorda( p164 ). Thebest ductory courses costCUC$35 to CUC$50. courses are CUC$300toCUC$350,andintro- Dives costaroundCUC$35,whilecertification much lowerthanelsewhere intheCaribbean. (Briefing?Whatbriefing?)aresafety standards todivingwithand than thatyou’llbeused Cuba.throughout Mostequipmentisolder snorkeling. There are over 30dive centers all thingsaquatic,includingdivingand With itshuge coastlineCubaisknown for Diving &Snorkeling ACTIVITIES rooms. hotel anything upfront.Cubansare notallowedin commodations here payfor never isdifficult; are 10% to25%cheaper. Prearranging ac- prices low-season are season; forthe high Pricesquotedexcellent options,though. here Havana andbigbeach resorts there are some are generally bycomparison.In disappointing and five-star foreign-managed jointventures, breakcasas thisrule,but it’s rare. room (parents withchildren excepted). Some rooms, withamaximumof twopeopleper possible); canonlyrent bylaw,casas outtwo the room(CUC$15toCUC$30;bargaining mended. Accommodationsare rented by listed inthisguideareAll those recom- There are few lamentably independent The mostpopulardivingarea covered in Hotels, withtheexceptionof somefour-

183 CUBA CUBA CUBA hands with regularity. kids’hair,give ortake their them kisses ruffle that issotypicallyCuban:strangerscontact children) mayfindunusualisthe physical upon them, too. dren willfindthisembracingattitudeheaped litical ralliesandparties.Travelers withchil- society: atconcerts,restaurants, church, po- Children are integrated intoallpartsof Cuban CHILDREN Shops Restaurants Banks on thelastworkingdayof each month. shutatnoon individual reviews. Allbusinesses inthischapter;used exceptionsare noted in The followingare thestandard business hours BUSINESS HOURS Cuba, of viewonthisconfoundingisland, by María LópezVigil.Foratraveler’s point revolution is now. from the truestorywillonlybetoldsometime the shelves inrecent years, arguably although land. Aslewof biographieshasgraced Castro Gott, isthelatest, broadesthistoryof theis- the present, troubled Cuban capital. more contemporary accountof life inthe Havana Trilogy world in1960sand’70sCuba; bravewriter’s tofitintoCastro’s struggle new Before Night Falls, regime;days of ReinaldoArenas’ theBatista man fallingintospyingcirclesduringthelast Havana, Greene’s sillyclassicthriller Required reading foranytripare Graham BOOKS .cubaclimbing.com) tion, visitthewebsite of from October toApril. Formore informa- permits in 2008. government whostartedissuingclimbing recognized asasportandregulated bythe climbing crowd,somuch sothatit’snow 184 Sunday Covering theFirst Warof Independenceto is Due totheheat,climbingseason One aspectof localculture parents (and Taking afrankbutreverent lookatthe IETR • Bos ••Books DIRECTORY h h by ZoëBranis recommended.highly anamusingstoryof avacuumsales- 9am to5pmMondaySaturday,noon 9am to3pmMondayFriday h Cuba: ANewHistory, Cuba: Neither Heaven NorHell, . 10:30am to11pmMondaySunday byPedro JuanGutiérrez, a aheartbreaking of tale agay Cuba Climbing Cuba Our Man in byRichard The Dirty The Dirty Enduring Enduring

(www

Travelers canbringinpersonal belongings CUSTOMS p149. see inHavana,counts. Forideasonfunkids’stuff Mosthotels andflights. offerbuses roomdis- andsomeonewillhelp need you out. Cubans are very resourceful: askforwhatyou icine, formulaetc,canbeachallenge, but about your a rehearsed and interminably cutesy patter somewherefrom, choose obscure (thisavoids walking, andwhen you’re asked where you’re stop ‘no thankyou’clearly butfirmly,never to ignore them,don’tmake say eye-contact, quicklyother waystomake money.Learn Cubans, who,intheirdefense, have very few tout, aprofession toanartformby the raised try. Welcometothelandof the frain willfollowyou thecoun- throughout ‘ You wanna buycigar,myfren?’ –thisre- DANGERS &ANNOYANCES the dos and don’ts. Martí International Airportdocumentingall leaflet inEnglish isavailable onarrivalatJosé notbedeclared.its equivalentneed Ahelpful gars withoutareceipt. uptoUS$5000or Cash foods are noproblem.Youcanexport50ci- anddried processed ellite phones.Canned, and bicycles),butnoGPSequipmentorsat- recording radios,computers, devices, tents (including cellphones,cameras,binoculars, Children travel forhalfpriceontrains,

PRACTICALITIES

Shortages of diaperwipes,children’s med-

etable markets. is used,exceptinsomefruitandveg- Weights &Measures prongs. American–style plugswithtwoflat are220 volts;sockets suited toNorth 110 volts,60cycles,butyou’llalsofind Electricity have somecable. hotelsmost midrangeandtop-end channels; radio stationsandfive TV Radio &TV Newspapers papers. and Trabajadores jintero The mostcommonvoltageis There are over 60local

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or [email protected]; CárcelNo51, Centro Habana) Zealand. Alsorepresents cuba; Calle34No702,Miramar) New No 402, Miramar) [email protected]; Calle13No652,Vedado) Australia. 45-66-73-95; Calle13No422,Varadero) Alsorepresents Calle 30No518,Miramar); May 1, in Plazas de la Revolución 1, inPlazasdelaRevolución May countrywide. CalzadabtwnCallesL& section.gov; M, Vedado) 3551/52/53, outofhr834-4400;http://havana.usinterest & 5, Miramar) http://cuba.nlambassade.org; Calle8No307btwnAvs 3 Calle14No312btwnAvsfrance-cu.com; 3& 5, Miramar) location varies. with itwillimprove your holiday vastly. single biggest annoyancesogetting togrips Yes, but in Liverpool orstudyinginToronto).Harsh? lonelyplanet.com Festival del Caribe, Fiesta delFuegoFestival delCaribe, Día delosTrabajadores Baseball playoffs trywide onJanuary1;outdoorconcerts in Havana. Liberation &NewYear’s Day FESTIVALS &EVENTS Section US Interests UK Spain Netherlands Italy Germany France Canada EMBASSIES &CONSULATES there’s one provided. thesafe ifvaluables inanyroom,anduse most nothingtobeafraidof. leave Never crimes such aspickpocketing, youhave al- from thisandothersmallopportunistic (a rarity,butjustbeaware Apart atnight). spot inthecountrythatyou’llget mugged Habana Centro though isthemostlikely go end, never with them. you outdancing.Unlessyou’re atyourwits’ you a‘beautifulwoman,’get ortake youataxi prices foryouraccommodationormeal),find the owners usually–which comesfromhiked orpaladar(they’llgetto acasa CUC$5from teros festival celebrating Caribbean dance,music festival celebratingCaribbean and religion. week ofJuly, SantiagodeCubaholds araucousweek-long

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(Map (Map pp142-3 ; Embassy % (Map (Map pp146-7 ; ( 204-1771; www.britishembassy.gov.uk/ % (Map (Map pp146-7 ; 204-5615; [email protected];Av 5 ism isanytraveler inCuba’s DIRECTORY ••Embassies&Consulates DIRECTORY Two weeks of top ball in late April; Two weeksoftopballinlateApril; 204-2516; www.havana.gc.ca; (Map (Map pp146-7 ; (Map (Map pp146-7 ; Consulate Massive rallies on May day, ralliesonMay Massive % % Big street parties coun- Bigstreet parties 866-8025; emb.laha % ( 201-3131; www.amba % % 833-2460; alema % 45-61-20-78; fax Inthefirst 204-2511; 833- jin- week of December. jazzhappensinthefirst Latin,faroutorfunkified be-bop, i mid-August. in inthiswildlysuccessfulinternationalevent bustin’ rhymes (Remedios). of Cuba’smostoutrageousfestivals, onDecember 24 a double bed won’tshock most people. Still, apart by Cubans, sogaytravelers requesting happening. is tofindoutwherepartygoers party thatnight’s Cine Yara ( p157 ) andchat upthecrowdsof spot headto gaymeeting around midnight; inHavanaon FridayandSaturdaynights from mostly gaypartiesare moving shindigsheld vate partiescharging CUC$2cover). These cruising andprivate life revolves heavily aroundinternet contacts, p167 ) there are noopenlygayclubsand gressive Clara(ClubMejunje, clubinSanta public view.Withtheexceptionof onepro- before. Caribbean –somethingutterlyrights unheardof inthe speaks outforgenderand even reassignment ualities, shehasadvocated AIDSeducation has campaignedfortolerancetowardsallsex- Education.Castro forSex the NationalCenter ter anddirector of Castro President of Raúl ofcampaigning efforts Mariela daugh- Castro, and,inmore taboo, been recent times,the somethingthathadpreviously mosexuality, which sparked anationaldialogueaboutho- this are thehit1994movie atleast).Thetwomainfactorsstandards for ingly gay-friendly place(bypitifulCaribbean past twodecadesandCubaisnowasurpris- cution, thingshave changed massively inthe Despite thebadolddaysof communistperse- GAY &LESBIANTRAVELERS Las Parrandas Americano CineLatino- Festival delNuevo Internacional Festival deJazz Internacional Festival deBallet Internacional Hop HabanaHip Cubano Festival deRap Carnaval , SantiagodeCuba the Moncada Barracks. each year,July26isthecelebrationof1953attackon Day oftheNationalRebellion even-numbered even-numbered years. in heldinmid-October withperformances; packed event hundreds ofscreenings inthefirstweek of December. July, thisisthecountry’soldestand biggest. In general, foreigners are treated asabreed Despite this, gaylife remains hiddenfrom Thisprestigious filmfestival features Extravagant fireworks andfloatsinone Extravagant fiestas dediez pesos Heldinthelastweekof Straight ahead, Straightahead, Inadifferent province Fresa yChocolate, Tremendous biennial Everyone’s (pri- 185

CUBA CUBA CUBA transportation. pesos (CUP), alsocalled Cuban convertible pesos(CUC) and Cuban Two currencies circulate Cuba– throughout MONEY available. clinics whenthereshould onlybeused are noprivate free healthcare innormalCubanhospitals to treatment inWestern The private hospitals. are madefortreatment, butare tinycompared and better suppliesthanelsewhere. Charges for foreigners, withEnglish-speakingdoctors tourists visitthere are usuallyclinicsdesigned Inlargestay. citiesandplaceswhere many also have insurancecovering youduringyour Youshould anything youknowyou’llneed. available youshould bring inCuba,although thecountry.Mostmedicationis throughout anddoctorsnations withexcellenthospitals fordeveloping standards high continue toset care thantheirfar-wealthier USneighbors, and Cubans famouslyenjoyfarbetter free health MEDICAL SERVICES your host family. which youwillusuallybecharged by touse particularessome casas have internet access, room. Despite beingallowed, notofficially ( p152 ), which hasfree connectionsineach for guests,withtheexceptionof theSaratoga places inHavana, none are although free even ting better –there’s asmattering of wi-fi connectionsinhotels arecards. Laptop get- passport numberwhenpurchasing access be asked toshow yourpassportorgive your small andoften slowinternet cafés.Youmay (perhourCUC$6)from able townsbyEtecsa Access totheinternet isprovided inallsize- INTERNET ACCESS 1998 visit. December 25 10 October July 26 1 May January 1 transportation is erratic. your travel andlocal plans,whenshopsclose There are onlyafew affect holidaysthatmight HOLIDAYS affection. of creet atstreet byavoiding level publicdisplays for yourownsafety it’sgoodtoremain dis- 186 IETR • Hldy ••Holidays DIRECTORY International Worker’s Day;noinner-city InternationalWorker’s Celebrates start of the revolution onJuly26,1953. oftherevolution Celebrates start Triumph of the Revolution; NewYear’s oftheRevolution; Triumph Day. Start oftheFirst WarofIndependence. Start Declared an official holiday after thePope’s Declared anofficialholiday after moneda nacional

sions, cashingthemtakes time,andsmaller are ahasslein Cuba. Inadditiontocommis- bank orsubsidiaryisaccepted in Cuba. embargo laws,nocredit cardissuedbyaUS the mostwidelyaccepted credit card.Dueto ble-free, rely butagain,never is onthem.Visa using theminbetter hotels andresorts istrou- will notsave Generally, youanymoney,sadly. charged atan8%commission, sotheiruse countonit.Creditbut never cardsare also bonus,imagine theirworkingasauseful granted inHavana andSantiago. Elsewhere recent years, betaken butshouldonlyever for rampant andthere’s nobenefit to you. not change moneyonthestreet asscamsare port before immigration.Do you passthrough you canreverse-exchange currency attheair- holiday fundstothe Cuban government. avoid of givingmore your thanisinevitable bring oneof thefouraccepted currencies to convertible, butwithahuge Therefore 18%tax. by theCubangovernment. USdollars are also tackedrate on forthe dollar,plusan8%tax rencies are exchanged atthe globalexchange cur- dollars andSwissfrancs;these Canadian sold inCubawitheuros,British pounds, to CUC$20forsuch sundriesat a Cadeca. CUP, makingitagoodideatochange CUC$10 you canoften buystreet foodanddrinksin thing touristsbuyisinthiscurrency, although in convertible pesos(CUC$)andnearlyevery- (MN). Mostpricesinthischapter are quoted cobro revertido + area codeand the number. and thenumber. TotheUS,justdial phone, dial only thelocalnumberisgiven in the listings. of atthestart and eachin thestatistics section In thischapter, the cityorarea codeisgiven code international accesscode,thenCuba’scountry number. Fromelsewhere, dialyour country’s from NorthAmerica,dial Cuba’s countrycodeis TELEPHONE rying them,get Thomas Cook checks. intheprovinces.useless Ifyouinsistoncar- hotels don’tacceptthem.They’re virtually To place acollectcall(reverse charges, Convertible pesosare outsideCuba; useless While they add security, traveler’sWhile theyaddsecurity, checks ATMs have becomemuch more reliable in Convertible and pesoscanonlybebought To callinternationally fromaCubanpay- % 53 +cityorarea code+localnumber. % 119 +countrycode +area code ) through aninternational) through op- % % 53. TocallCuba lonelyplanet.com 1-53 +thelocal % 119-1 from public phones. able toallcountries.Youcannotcallcollect code +number. TocallHavana fromanyother erator, dial lonelyplanet.com 5 to10centavos pervisittothe bathroom thecountry.It’scustomarytotip throughout Toilets are plentiful–if rather smelly– TOILETS respectively. CUC$8.78, Operator-assisted callscostCUC$3.71and and CUC$5.85toEurope/Oceania. CUC$2.45 perminute toNorthAmerica CUP1 per minute. interprovincial callscostfrom35 centavos to Local callsare CUP0.05perminute, while Phone Rates cards. convertible-peso but youcanonlycallinternationally with CUP7. Youcancallnationallywitheither, nacional CUC$5, CUC$10andCUC$20, sold inconvertible-peso denominationsof where. Phone cards(magneticorchip) are phones(mostbroken)public Etecsa are every- internet and make international calls.Blue iswhereEtecsa the youbuyphonecards,use Phone Cards day. per work here; youcanrent oneforCUC$7 to Europe. Only900MHz, unlocked phones minute to the USandCUC$5.85perminute minute). International rates are CUC$2.70 per local calls(fromCUC$0.52toCUC$0.70per charged forbothincoming plus payCUC$3linerental perday.Youare unlocked. Youhave tobuyprepaid cards, put itintheircellphoneproviding ithasbeen buy aSIMcardfromanyEtecsa office and communicate. to thisisanexpensivenetwork, although way roam quite happilyontothelocalCubacel (with theobviousexceptionof USones!)will thecountry.Mostcellphonesthroughout (www.cubacel.com) Cuba’s cellphonemonopolyis Cell Phones province, youjustdial To call between provinces,To callbetween dial Anyone usingtheirphoneregularly can International callsmadewithacardcost denominationsof CUP3,CUP5and % 012. This service isnotavail- 012. Thisservice , which hasgoodcoverage DIRECTORY ••Toilets DIRECTORY % 7 + number. and % outgoing 0 +area moneda Cubacel Cubacel business days before isdueto yourvisa longer. Attend toextensions atleastafew Cuba andre-enter tostay anewifyouneed afterfour weeks, which toleave you’ll need at localbanks).You’ll receive anadditional (obtainable ments andCUC$25instamps andpresentimmigration office yourdocu- longer. preferably a consulate atleastthree inadvance, weeks Applicationsshould bemadethrough visas. to avoid unnecessary questioning. in withahotelparticular,ifonly orlegalcasa card (replacements cost CUC$25). leave Cubawithoutpresenting yourtourist country like anyothertourist.Youcannot to Cuba(US$25);theyare welcomedinthe whichin thecountrythrough they’re traveling tors buytheirtouristcardattheairlinedesk airline ortravel agency. USvisi- Unlicensed tarjeta deturista Visitors initiallyget inCubawitha fourweeks VISAS limited. extremely ofpractical use touristinformationofficesis sions. WhileEnglish isusuallyspoken, the toursand hotels, andselling excur- promotional materials forlocalrestaurants thedualfunctionsof providingally serve online. Touristoffices inCubantownsusu- you can’tfindinaguidebookorelsewhere travel.cu, itcarrieslittleinformation although iswww.cuba The nationaltourismportal nations.good asinneighboring Caribbean ist infrastructure inCubaisnowhere nearas thetour-Despite tourismbeingall-pervasive, TOURIST INFORMATION backup. embarrassing discard yourpaperinthisbasket orrisk an in top-endhotels andresorts, youshould ket Except besidethetoiletforthispurpose. bathroomhasasmallwastebas-and every tems are notdesignedtotake toiletpaper when there’s sys- anattendant. Cubansewer Obtaining anextensionObtaining iseasy:go toan Business travelers andjournalistsneed The ‘address inCuba’lineshould befilled EMERGENCY NUMBERS

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187 CUBA CUBA CUBA routes anditsfares are usuallythecheap- to Cuba. Cubana fliesfromKingston and h final & Santa Ana, Nuevo final &SantaAna,Nuevo Vedado) 5 (akathe Terminal).Caribbean Aerocaribbean andAerogaviota Terminal use modern facility2.5km westof Terminal 2. theexcellent Terminal use flights 3,a fromtheUS.Mostinternationalter flights is Terminal 2,which receives direct char- kilometers awayonAv delaIndependencia Afewway, handlesdomesticCubanaflights. of Havana. Terminal 1, southeastof therun- 649-0410; Av delaIndependencia) above the 20kg luggage allowance. problems anditcharges kilo forevery stiffly est. Still,overbooking anddelaysare nagging (www.cubana.cu) theCaribbean throughout and beyond. Cuba, theislandremains wellconnected ofDespite theUStoisolate the bestefforts Air makestaying somethingup. ter, andifyou don’tknowwhere you’llbe before youarrive attheimmigrationcoun- Ensure you’ve filledoutyourtouristcard you’re (atleastforyourfirst staying night). tourist card(see p187 ), andknowwhere is tohave yourpassport,onwardticket and placetoenter.straightforward Thekey thing tion asacommunistprison,Cuba’svery For acountrywith such afearsome reputa- Entering Cuba GETTING THERE&AWAY TRANSPORTATION Viñales Trinidad Santiago deCuba Santa Clara Havana Baracoa book allhave immigration offices: expire. Thefollowingcitiescovered inthis 188 1-3pm Mon-Thu) Mon-Fri) h Thu & Fri) Cebreco, VistaAlegre;General Jamaica isa major hub transportation Airport International José Martí Cuba’s nationalairlineis 8am-5pm Mon-Fri) 8am-5pm Tue-Thu) RNPRAIN • etn hr wy TRANSPORTATION There &Away ••Getting (cnr Salvador Cisneros & Ceferino Fernández;(cnr SalvadorCisneros&Ceferino (Antonio Maceo No48; (AntonioMaceo Mp pp146-7; (Map (Julio Cueva DíazoffPaseo Cueva Agramonte; (Julio (cnr Av Sandino &Sexta; . Its modern fleet fliesmajor. Itsmodernfleet (Map (Map pp176-7 ; Calle13nearAv % 206-0307; cnrCalleFactor al h h is 25kmsouthwest 8am-5pm Mon,Tue, 8am-noon &2-4pm Cubana deAviaciónCubana h

8am-noon & ( % 649-5666,

www.aero-caribbean.com) to Santiago deCuba(CUC$219 return), London Domingo, Toronto,plusother destinations City, MontegoBay,Montreal, Paris,London, Mexico Santo .iberia.com) Cancún, .iberia.com) City Mexico air.com) Panama City Cayman Nassau Toronto Cubana deAviaciónCubana Copa Airlines Airways Cayman Bahamasair Air Transat Air Jamaica Air France Air Canada Aeroflot Aerocaribbean in theUS. Nassau–Havana tickets onlineoranywhere UScitizenscannotpurchase times aweek. andHavana;Nassau fliesthree Bahamasair Cubanafliesdailybetween the Bahamas, stopinSantiagodeCubafirst.flights From Domingo andPuertoPríncipe. Thelatter two from Guadeloupe,Martinique, Santo Jamaica. toHavanaMontego Bay Air daily,asdoes www.cubana.cu) tional carrier Internal are flights wellprovided for byna- Air scheduled ferry services to Cuba. with water andelectrichookups.There are no per dayor45centavos per foot forapierslip de Cuba. Harbor anchorage fees are CUC$10 Cienfuegos, Varadero, Trinidad and Santiago Antonio, Marina Hemingway (Havana), includeMaríasels deSan laGorda,Cabo Marinas aroundCubaacceptingforeign ves- Sea Atlantic Virgin TACA deAviación Mexicana Iberia Bay Montego Toronto GTIG AROUND GETTING The followingairlinesflyto/fromCuba: toHavanaCubana alsofliestwiceaweek ( % ( % 833-3114; www.taca.com) SanSalvador ( ( % ( ( ( % % % ( 204-3200; www.aeroflot.com)Moscow % ( ( % 833-2642; www.airfrance.com) Paris 833-2642; www.airfrance.com) and % % 836-3226/27; www.aircanada.com) 204-3802/04; www.airtransat.com) 204-3802/04; www.airtransat.com) 833-3636; www.airjamaica.com) Cubana de AviaciónCubana (www.caymanairways.com) Grand 833-3114; www.bahamasair.com) 204-1111; www.copa 7-207-0747; www.virginatlantic.com) 833-3621; www.aero-caribbean.com) ( % Aerocaribbean . BothconnectHavana 834-4949; www.cubana.cu) ( % lonelyplanet.com 204-3454; www

( ( % % 833-3621; 834-4949; ers totravel onAstro which cover buses, the travelers. Sadlyit’snotpossibleforforeign- air-con coaches todestinationsof interest to lonelyplanet.com 26 & Zoológico, Nuevo Vedado)26 &Zoológico,Nuevo ( Bus travel isadependable optionwith Bus arrive. also Víazulbuses take bikes. with youandcheck over thebike whenyou partments are guarded,buttake yourpanniers with baggage carriages Riding after darkisnotrecommended. Trains congregate (markets, busterminals etc). lots costingCUP1,located wherever crowds leave yourbike ata strong locksasbicycletheftisrampant.Tryto sharing the road. to country, withadrivingpopulationused theygo.ever Cubaisalargely However, flat cars belching outplumesof pollutionwher- ancient Soviet lorriesand1950sAmerican Cubans, theroadsare getting busierwith driving becomesmore formany affordable aren’t quite asgoodtheyoncewere: as still few Sadly,conditions andfarbetween. it first openeduptotourism,whencars were tus withcyclistsdates fromthemid-’90swhen climbers andhikers puttogether. Cuba’ssta- more bicycleenthusiastsheresee thandivers, Cuba islegendary amongcyclistsandyou’ll Bicycle round-trip. of Juventud. One-waytickets are halftheprice (CUC$86return)Gerona ontheIsladela (CUC$259return)Baracoa andNueva bagones) fix flattires andprovide air. Bringyourown % Spare partsare tofind; difficult .treas.gov/ofac). andtoreviewCapitol ofForeign Hill, the Office Assets Controlregulations limitingtravel (www encouraged tovisitwww.democracyinamericas.org toinformyourselfofthelatest legislation on repercussions suffered byUScitizens whodecidetocircumvent theserestrictions. Youare strongly up to10yearsinprison.The authorsandpublisherofthisguide acceptnoresponsibility for violatorsmayalsofaceuptoUS$250,000infinesandunder theTradingwithEnemyAct, without government Inaddition, permission.Italsoallowsforconfiscationoftheirproperty. from spendingmoneyinCuba, ithaslargely squelchedleisure travel forover 40years. ban,’ preventing its citizens fromvisitingCuba. Technically atreasury lawprohibitingUScitizens Together withtheembargo againstCuba, theUSgovernment enforceswhatisknownasa‘travel TRAVEL BANPENALTIES 881-1413, 881-5652,881-1108; www.viazul.cu; Calle The 1996 Helms-Burton BillimposesfinesofuptoUS$50,000onUScitizensThe whovisitCuba 1996Helms-Burton take bikes com- forCUC$20.These TRANSPORTATION Around ••Getting parqueo , which haspunctual, (coches deequipaje –bicycleparking poncheras Víazul or

Havana andSantiago) cars are insuch short the season. high around CUC$70 per dayminimumduring day foraHyundai Atosandclimbsteeplyto fee. Thecheapest cars atCUC$50per start inanotherforareasonableand dropitoff credit card).Youcanrent acarinonecity CUC$200 deposit(incashorwith non-US your homedriver’s andarefundable license usually pretty crappy machine. ing over and theoddsforabadlymaintained butresignstraightforward, yourself topay- pattern of somuch of Cubanlife. It’spretty Renting acarinCubafollowsthepredictable Car ‘permiso,’ therear.through Make roomtopassbysaying walk asfarbackinthebuspossibleandexit stops). Shout cities. There isalwaysalineat guaguas towns in Cuba. tion about busconnectionstoandfromother There forinforma- Getting &Awaysections individual See Santiago deCuba–Baracoa). (Havana–Trinidad, Claraand Trinidad–Santa andonpopularroutesChristmas andEaster) during peaktravel toAugust, periods(June areride abike. advisable Busreservations you’re pretty much forcedtohire acaror that ifyouwanttoget off thebeaten path mine whoislastinline. You‘give’ from 40centavos toCUP1.Youmustalways ing exactlywhere cost youfallinline. Buses when thenextperson arrives, thereby know- country farmore comprehensively, meaning Another bugbear isthat(especiallyin To rent yourpassport, acar,you’llneed Very crowded,very steamy, very Cuban (local buses) can be useful inbigger canbeuseful (localbuses) andwatch your bag. ‘el último?’ (‘the last?’)todeter- paradas el

último

(bus 189 CUBA CUBA CUBA poor lighting and drunkdriverspoor lighting (anongoing mended duetovariable roads,crossingcows, isnotrecom-driving skills.Driving atnight trians, tractors andlivestock cantest your isrefreshinglytraffic bicycles,pedes- light, generally ingoodrepair. While motorized are andCarreteraThe Autopista Central ROAD CONDITIONS put carhirewell, although companies ask youto (per liter CUC$0.95).Eitherworksequally either regular (perliter CUC$0.80) or everywhere. Gasissoldbytheliter andis hard-currencytions) selling gasare nearly Cupet andOroNegro FUEL &SPARE PARTS faction (tipstotheagent may help). problems willberesolved satis- toeveryone’s and thefriendlieryouare, themore likely rental problems.Themore Spanishyouspeak tires, andothercar- forgotten reservations bogusspare or nonexistent customerservice, per day insurance. sounds strange. Take theoptional CUC$10 plaining andtryingtoswapiftheengine cars are inashocking state. It’sworthcom- work, andallthedoors lockproperly.Some Check thatthere are allthelights seatbelts, tire of thecorrect size,ajackandlugwrench. or missing parts.Make sure there isaspare asyou’llberesponsibleoff foranydamage pay a CUC$15 surcharge. fee; additionaldrivers contract onthesame a few CUCs.Drivers under25payaCUC$5 empty, butdon’triskrunningoutjusttosave tofillup.You’restation expected toreturn it bit of gasinittoallowyoudrive tothegas yourcarcomeswithonlyatiny otic enough, unlimited kilometers. As ifthingsweren’t idi- of other. each Inglaterra, allwithineasywalkingdistance TelégrafoParque Sevilla, Central, andthe often thebestplacestoask;tryPlaza,NH Havana, aroundParque are those Central often better betsthanthemainoffices. In something available. Thehotel outletsare therewant acar,thengostraight iftheyhave call aroundthecar-hire placesthedayyou meaningless. Usually thebestthingtodois are prettysupply thatreservations much 190 Check over thecarcarefully before driving Contracts forthree daysormore comewith We have received manyletters aboutpoor especial RNPRAIN • etn rud TRANSPORTATION Around ••Getting in your car. servicentros (gassta- especial

te meter. the towhatyou’llpaywith that worksoutclose usually offer rate foreigners aflat,off-meter CUC$0.75 perkilometer thereafter. Cabbies are taxis meteredCar andcostCUC$1tostart, Taxi, Bici-taxi&Coco-taxi carts) thattrotonfixed routes. Many provincial citieshave Horse Cart zones’. ‘control instructedto thespeed fortheubiquitous hire cars goingtoofast,butdoslowdown inpracticemostpolicewillignoreHowever, from yourdepositwhenyoureturn thecar). and are noted onyour carcontract(deducted tickets atCUC$30 Speeding Autopista. start and100km/hontheAutopista. highways technically 50km/hinthecity,90km/hon are requiredSeatbelts limitsare andspeed ROAD RULES the way. right time andaskrepeatedly tocheck you’re going is acomplete nightmare. Allowplentyof extra city andfinding signage aroundHavana –getting outof the appalling.Particularlystill sadly badisthe campaign). Signage, improving, though is problem despite agovernment educational travelers frequently travel ontrainsfor the charged Spanish-speaking inCUC$,though ticket isusuallynoproblem –touristswill be this chapter ispurely theoretical. a Getting ficiently! Departure information provided in keen tomake progress andmove aboutef- time andpatience,butanightmare ifyou’re a great waytoexperienceCubaifyouhave alltheprovincial andare capitals Cuba serve Public railwaysoperated byFerrocarriles de Train Agree onapricebefore getting in. refer tothemas inHavana.and are mainly seen Localsoften torbike thatholdtwoto three taxis people of from ‘taxi’ guys. these country intouristspotsbytheubiquitouscry beforehand. You’llbemobbed allover the CUC$2 forashorthop;agree ontheprice behind thedriver. TouristspayCUC$1to So-called coco-taxis areSo-called coco-taxis mo- egg-shaped There are traps alongthe speed someclever Bici-taxis are Bici-taxis bigtricycleswithtwoseats huevitos any roadsfromtheringroad (literally ‘little eggs’). lonelyplanet.com coches (horse Truck Watch your luggage and bring food. Havana–Santa Clara. Thebathroomsare foul. travelers are Havana–Santiago deCuba and routeslocal pesoprice. for Themostuseful lonelyplanet.com the above - ‘Do the right thingwithourcontent.’ the above -‘Dotheright theterms and conditionsonoursiteforalonger wayofsaying youknow,orresell it.See everyone site,mass emailitto only. Inotherwords, pleasedon’tuploadthischapterto apeer-to-peer Inreturn, wethinkit’sfair toaskyouuseitforpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasier foryoutouse,accessthischapterisnotdigitally Tomake travel provinces. withinorbetween Every city Camiones (trucks)are acheap, fastwayto TRANSPORTATION Around ••Getting great way toexperience local life. are ridiculouslycheap. Thisisdefinitely a Departures are andprices scheduled,g though, room only,andthere are notoiletfacilities. way totravel. there’s Inmostcases standing camion has aprovincial andmunicipalbusstopwith This is the most basic and least comfortable This isthemostbasicandleastcomfortable departures. © LonelyPlanetPublications

191 CUBA CUBA